The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, 108-103, but it was an ugly performance by the Purple and Gold.
A big culprit was Russell Westbrook’s nine turnovers, and he got a bit defensive when asked about them after the contest.
Russell Westbrook said he's "allowed" to commit turnovers and miss shots, as they are simply parts of the game. He pushed back on the idea that he was struggling prior to the 4th quarter.
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) January 3, 2022
Russ says his game is not predicated on missing shots or turning the ball over. Says he's allowed to miss shots and turn the ball over and adds making the right basketball play is his job.
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) January 3, 2022
Westbrook has done plenty to help the Lakers compete and win this season. But his impulsiveness, at times, has been an issue for the team.
Coming into Sunday’s tilt, he was averaging 19.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game on the season. But his 4.6 turnovers per game have been the proverbial low-hanging fruit for his critics.
Against Minnesota, he had 20 points, but he was somewhat inefficient from the field, as he missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
As a team, the Lakers had major problems on the boards, as they got outrebounded 56-28. As a result, they were unable to ignite their transition game and pull away as they did on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
In spite of all their miscues on Sunday, L.A. managed to get its third win in its last four games. With some more home games against beatable opponents coming up in the next several days, the team has an opportunity to build some much-needed momentum.
