After the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Houston Rockets on November 17, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden talked about Russell Westbrook moving to the bench.
Westbrook requested to come off the bench to help the Clippers’ first unit establish some continuity.
Westbrook played 17 minutes against the Rockets. He finished with eight points, three rebounds and two assists while shooting 2-of-9 from the field, 2-of-6 from beyond the arc and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers Updates
“It’s tough with his energy and obviously there’s a ton of chemistry there,” George said. “We’ve always played well off one another, but just takes a lot for his sacrifice and what he did for us going forward to try new things out. Can’t say enough just on the character of Russ and his leadership.”
Harden, who has played with Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Rockets, believes Westbrook coming off the bench will help the Clippers.
“Russ sacrificed for the team and I know it was a tough decision,” Harden said. “Obviously he wants to start, but sacrificing for the team. All in all, it’s going to pay off better for us. So just continue to make sure everyone on this roster is playing well and we find our swag, our rhythm as a unit and individually as a team.”
Westbrook is averaging 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists on the season. The future Hall of Famer is shooting 44.9% from the floor, 31.6% from 3 and 57.1% from the foul line.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers Updates
The Clippers improved to 4-7 after beating the Rockets. They are now 1-5 with Harden in the lineup.
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