Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel offered praise for Russell Westbrook’s clutch 3-pointer on Friday night while also taking a gentle jab at Westbrook’s former teammate, Kevin Durant.
Frank Vogel hilariously says he told Russell Westbrook if he taught Kevin Durant that move to pull back his foot behind the 3-point line that it would've changed the course of NBA history with the Nets beating the eventual champion Bucks last year in the playoffs.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 19, 2022
Westbrook connected on a step-back 3-pointer with .9 seconds left in regulation to send the Lakers into overtime against the Toronto Raptors. In that extra session, the Lakers emerged with a 128-123 victory.
The small bit of levity for Vogel was some comic relief after the Lakers had dropped their last 11 road contests.
Vogel’s reference to Durant deals with Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals matchup between Durant’s Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the closing seconds of regulation in a tie game last June, Durant appeared to hit a 3-pointer. However, because his foot was determined to be on the 3-point line, the basket was only worth two points.
The Bucks emerged with a win and went on to capture their first NBA title in 50 years.
Westbrook and Durant were once teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since Durant left to play for the Golden State Warriors in 2016, the relationship between the two players has faded.
The Lakers may have been able to stop their losing skid on the road on Friday, but still face a major challenge simply to reach the postseason.
With 12 games left in the regular season, the Lakers have a 30-40 record and will stay on the road. Their opponent on Saturday night will be the Washington Wizards, a team they defeated on March 11.
