Russell Westbrook did not shine during Game 3 of the series against Dallas. In 19 minutes on the floor, the former MVP settled for a small point at 0/7 shooting including 0/4 from distance. And if he tried to compensate in defense, he especially got lost in the engagement, letting his frustration speak for himself against Luka Doncic's gang…
In the second quarter, he already received a Flagrante I foul for a dangerous counter attempt on Josh Green, the Clipper only touching the head of his opponent, unbalanced in the air.
In the process, Russell Westbrook heated up with Texan fans, but he especially heated up with Luka Doncic for a good part of the match. Until the fourth quarter, where he committed another foul on the Slovenian which made him unpin while PJ Washington pushed him behind his back. The Dallas interior will be expelled, just like the Clippers leader, who took the opportunity to say a few more words to the Dallas bench.
Luka Doncic keeps calm
“It’s okay, it’s the playoffs. There is a physical impact. They play physical, we play physical” explained Luka Doncic, who didn't really know what to say about Russell Westbrook's general nervousness.
Without naming him, Tyronn Lue admitted that this is not how the Clippers will return to the series.
“We must channel our aggression in another way”he explained. “There is turmoil in the air. I like the physical side, the complicated possessions. I like all of this. But we have to make sure that we avoid technical fouls, that we are not kicked out of the match, because everyone is important.”
Especially since opposite, Luka Doncic loves to knock his opponents off their hinges, while the provocations of Russell Westbrook and the other Clippers are not working on him at the moment.
“It shows how determined he is to win”, concludes Derek Lively II. “He is not focused on the opposition’s toughness. There will be a lot of times people try to push him out of his comfort zone, into his head. All he needs is to know his teammates have his back. »
