With Anthony Davis healthy and back in the lineup, the Los Angeles Lakers made another lineup change for their game on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets. For the first time since his rookie season, Russell Westbrook came off the bench in an NBA regular season game.
It was something that head coach Darvin Ham tried in the final preseason game of the year, but Westbrook injured his hamstring minutes into it. After the regular season opener, Westbrook said that the injury occurred because he came off the bench, saying he didn’t know how to do it and was not properly warmed up.
Whatever changed between that point and Sunday worked as Westbrook had a huge game coming off the bench. The Nuggets’ starting five found a ton of success on the court, as they all finished with neutral or positive plus/minus ratios.
The same cannot be said for the bench, as they were all negative. Westbrook, on the other hand, was a game-high +18 and was a key part of the Lakers picking up their first victory of the season.
“To be a player of his caliber and asked to come off the bench, that’s truly a guy doing whatever the team asks to get a win,” Davis said of Westbrook. “Sacrifice his starting position for the betterment of the team. He’s flourished in that role. That’s all we can ask for. I told him, ‘Just keep what you’re doing, man. Everything you’re doing is unbelievable.’ In the last two games, he just kind of been doing his thing. Proud of him.”
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Westbrook finished the game with 18 points to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists. He was very efficient from the field, making 6-of-12 shots overall, 2-of-4 from 3-point range and all four of his free throw attempts.
It was a nice performance for Westbrook, who has been struggling thus far this season once again. But, being part of a winning effort certainly made him feel good.
“I love seeing my teammates flourish, honestly,” Westbrook said. “I get a joy by seeing others do great; my whole career, what lifts me up is to see others do well. And tonight was that night to see guys making shots, competing, and that’s all you can ask for.”
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That was the right way to start off a four-game homestand, as the Lakers will welcome the New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers to town over their next three games. They are certainly hoping that the performance against the Nuggets jump-starts the team and they can carry some of this momentum over.
“We’re all here for one reason, and that’s to win,” James said. “When guys’ numbers are called or not called, we have to understand it’s for the better of the team, not individuals. And tonight was one of those cases where guys stay ready, and guys who stayed ready and whose number wasn’t called as much as it was before, but they were still locked in and cheering on the group, the group that was in there.
“So that’s what the team is all about.”
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Ham looks to have found a combination capable of providing the team with some success. Los Angeles had their best shooting night of the season, knocking down 13-of-30 3-point attempts for a strong 43.3 percent.
If they can start shooting closer to that clip more often, the wins will start piling up.
