Russell Westbrook becomes 1st Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2016 to accomplish this unique feat
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Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant
Russell Westbrook might have found his MVP-like rhythm back seeing his recent performances. Westbrook almost led the Los Angeles Lakers to an improbable win against the Charlotte Hornets on road in the absence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, the Lakers fell short by three points, in the end, losing 114-117 to the Charlotte Hornets.
The Los Angeles Lakers, however, lost another game to an above .500 team in the Charlotte Hornets. Nonetheless, it was an impressive effort from the Lakers who were short LeBron James (left knee soreness) and Anthony Davis (right wrist soreness). It was especially impressive from Russell Westbrook as he looked like a true leader trying to will out a victory out of the jaws of defeat after trailing for a major part of the game.
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Russell Westbrook 1st Laker since Kobe Bryant to score 30 or more points in a half
Westbrook scored a total of 35 points in the game, of which 30 points came in the 2nd half. This explains the Lakers’ comeback run to almost winning the game in the 2nd half. The Lakers were trailing 49-65 at the end of the 1st half but outscored the Hornets 65-52 in the 2nd. Although it is meaningless from a standings point of view, it means a lot for the team and their confidence.
With these 30 points in the 2nd half, Westbrook also became the first Laker to have 30 points or more in a single half since Kobe Bryant in 2016. Kobe Bryant scored 38 points in the 2nd half against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016. It was also Bryant’s last NBA game as he ended the night with 60 points.
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Is Russell Westbrook taking off?
Russell Westbrook scored 35 points on 12-23 shooting. He also had five assists and three rebounds to go with just one turnover. Over the last four games, Westbrook has been averaging ~23 points per game on 53% shooting from the field. He has shot at least 50% in each of the past four games. In January, Westbrook is averaging 2.8 turnovers per game compared to his season’s 4.2 turnovers per game.
Seeing his previous seasons, this might be a common theme to Westbrook’s performances. Last season, in the 4th month of the season, Westbrook averaged ~25 points per game on 47% from the field. In the 5th month, he averaged 25.2 points per game on 45% shooting. The season is in its 4th month and Westbrook has started to show glimpses of his explosion of late.
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Divyansh Chandra
(170 Articles Published)