The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their fourth loss in a row on Friday night. This time around, the team suffered a 132-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, handing their fellow Crypto.com Arena residents a 4-0 season sweep. The Clippers were led by a monster performance from starting point guard Reggie Jackson, who went for 36 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in the win.
As for the Lakers’ starting point guard, Russell Westbrook wasn’t quite as impactful on the evening — 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 29 minutes of work. It was the latest performance in what has been an underwhelming season for Westbrook, who came to Los Angeles with much fanfare but has struggled to make the kind of impact that justifies the lofty price the team paid to acquire him.
After the game, Westbrook shed some light on what’s been going on this season. While stressing that he has no intention of doing everything he can to win, the former league MVP explained that he’s struggled to have a consistent role.
“My role and what I’m doing has changed every single night,” Westbrook said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “So I’m just trying to figure that out as I’m playing and to be able to benefit and help my team.
“But my expectations are still the same,” he continued. “I’m not a quitter. It’s not in my genes. I don’t quit, regardless of what the hell is going on. I’m going to fight to the end, and if it don’t work, that’s cool, too. I can live with the results. But I’m never going to give up or give in because of a little struggle that’s happening this time of the year.”
As for whether or not Westbrook’s role can seriously change by being brought off the bench — he has started all 61 games in which he’s appeared, the most on the team — Lakers coach Frank Vogel suggested it is a possibility, telling the press that “we’ve talked about everything.”
