Russell Westbrook relents with reporter after awful shooting night: 'Good question'
If there was ever a time Russell Westbrook didn’t want to talk to the media this year, it might have been Sunday night.
What could Westbrook, who infamously ignores questions even after wins, say when his team just lost a pivotal Game 4 at home and he shot them that way with a ghastly 5-for-21 shooting performance, with just a single second-half-point?
Well, maybe the loss caused Westbrook to reevaluate his priorities.
Russell Westbrook opens up, kinda, to Berry Tramel
Following the Thunder’s 111-98 loss, Westbrook was asked a question by The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel. As Tramel has discussed in the past, that usually leads to a single answer from Westbrook: “Next question.”
This time, however, Westbrook was feeling relatively friendly:
After Game 4 loss to Blazers, Thunder's Russell Westbrook (14 points, 5-21 shooting, minus-17) alters his "next question" strategy in stand-off with OKC reporter: "Uh, that's a good question. Um. Not sure." pic.twitter.com/c0PSt3y5RP
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 22, 2019
Progress!
Of course, a late face turn didn’t do much to change the schadenfreude that ensued from a few corners of the basketball world during Westbrook’s struggles, starting with some on the Portland side:
No extra stuff 🧐... 🤐🧱 🤷🏻♂️🧱 🤣🤣 #interesting #nextquestion #ripcity
— Jusuf Nurkić (@bosnianbeast27) April 22, 2019
As Al-Farouq Aminu checks in, Blazers assistant David Vanterpool tells him, "Chief, don't help on Russ. Let him shoot." Westbrook has tried to stick with the playmaking in this fourth quarter despite the deficit.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 22, 2019
RUSS: *shoots jumper*
RIM: 'Next question.'— Myles Brown (@mdotbrown) April 22, 2019
all the people who hate russ pic.twitter.com/7kPcdUtXM3
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) April 22, 2019
Russ: next question
Dame: next series— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 22, 2019
And, of course, the stats emerged:
Also from @ESPNStatsInfo: This is the 29th time in Westbrook's playoff career that he missed at least 15 shots, which is 8 more games than any other player since Westbrook's first playoff appearance in 2009-10.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 22, 2019
Clearly, this is a bit of a low point for Westbrook. The only way the narrative around the fiery point guard doesn’t stay that way going into the offseason is some kind of heroic effort from Oklahoma City over its next three games.
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