Home NBA Russell Westbrook’s all-around heroics helped Clips take 1-0 lead vs Suns

Russell Westbrook’s all-around heroics helped Clips take 1-0 lead vs Suns

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Despite a horrible shooting night, Russell Westbrook made his hustle and all-around wonders to be felt around the L.A. Clippers’ 115-110 Game 1 escape over the Phoenix Suns in their 2023 first-round playoff series opener on Sunday.

The former All-Star guard bricked most of his shots against the Suns, going 3-for-19 in his nine total rough markers. Nonetheless, he guaranteed the Clips of creating more ways to contribute, finishing with 10 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks, and two steals.

“My whole career, I pride myself every season on doing everything,” Westbrook said of his well-rounded stat line, per Associated Press’ David Brandt. “Whatever is needed of me to win the game, I’ll do it.”

Westbrook also came up huge in crunch time, securing a big-time defensive play by blocking Devin Booker and swatting the ball to him to completely give Los Angeles the late momentum of winning the ball game.

“Making winning plays, getting deflections on balls, offensive rebounding, getting us into our sets – that is playoff basketball,” Kawhi Leonard said, who led the Clippers with 38 points. “You might not have the best night shooting, but you’ve got to impact the game some type of way and he [Westbrook] did that tonight.”

The Clippers will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead as they are set to face the Suns once again for Game 2 on Tuesday.

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