NBA stars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden tipped their hats at Russell Westbrook for sacrificing his playing time for the success of the Los Angeles Clippers.
On Saturday, Westbrook requested to come off the bench in favor of Terance Mann. The move immediately yielded fruit as the Clippers defeated the Houston Rockets, 106-100, to snap their six-game losing streak. The win also gave Harden his first victory as a Clipper.
Meanwhile, Westbrook finished the game with just eight points, three rebounds, and two assists in 17 minutes of action.
Westbrook’s teammates admired his character.
“Russ sacrificed for the team, and I know it was a tough decision,” Harden said. “Obviously, he wants to start, but he’s sacrificing for the team. All in all, it is going to pay off better for us. And so just continue making sure everyone on this roster is playing well and we find our swag, our rhythm as a unit, and individually as a team.”
“Yeah, it’s tough,” George told reporters. “It’s tough, but his energy and obviously there’s a tight chemistry there, and so we’ve always played well off one another. It takes a lot, what he’s sacrificing for us going forward to try and figure things out. Can’t say enough just about the character of Russ and just his energy.”
“I think he’s gonna be good,” Leonard said, referring to Westbrook. “It’s gonna take time for us all to figure it out. But I think he did well; he came into the game, hit a big three for us, and got some stops. Great defense.”
The victory over the Rockets is a great sign for the Clippers, as it improved their record to 4-7. (MJD)
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