“Bro put on them shoes and whispered ‘make me like Mike’ again” - NBA fans on Reddit react to Russell Westbrook’s clutch 3-pointer vs the Raptors

Russell Westbrook had one of his better performances donning the purple and gold last night at Scotiabank Arena. The nine-time All-Star played a huge role in the LA Lakers' overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors.

With his performance, the Lakers snapped an 11-game road skid and registered win no. 30 of the season. Although LeBron James once again dominated the game, Russ came through with the clutch performance on both ends of the floor to force overtime.

Throughout the season, Westbrook has been the scapegoat for the Lakers' poor form. He has been a shadow of his old self and has not performed at the level many hoped heading into the season.

Fans have said the unthinkable to Westbrook, showing their disappointment with his displays at every opportunity they get. But with his incredible performance yesterday, fans have found renewed excitement in Westbrook.

The NBA community has been buzzing, with no one having words to fault Westbrook. On Reddit, fans could not contain their excitement with his production against the Raptors and had nothing but praise for the 33-year-old.

While fans were delighted with the dagger three-pointer, there was more to praise about Westbrook's night. His shooting was commendable, knocking down four three-pointers in seven attempts and shooting 44.4% from the field. He finished the game with 22 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists, his first triple-double in 2022.

---

Russell Westbrook has only ten triple-doubles this season

Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket while Patrick Beverley #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends

The Lakers have 12 games remaining this season, and Russell Westbrook has already played four more than his entire campaign with the Washington Wizards last season. Unfortunately, he has recorded only ten triple-doubles, 28 fewer than his tally last season.

Saying Russ has not been a great fit alongside LBJ and Anthony Davis is an understatement. While his role has been greatly diminished because he is not the focus of the team's offense, he has not done much in terms of production when given the chance.

Russ has been poor offensively, making turnovers and botching layups. But he has had moments of brilliance this season, more so when LeBron is not in the lineup.

Later tonight, the Lakers will square off against the Washington Wizards, and Westbrook will have another opportunity to put together another monster performance. He was expected to hit top form during the second half of the season, but that is yet to be seen.

So far this season, Westbrook has averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists. Although they are decent averages, they are nothing compared to his last ten-plus seasons in the league.