"I think he was trying to say I was too small" - Russell Westbrook reveals why referee issued technical foul on Miles Bridges during Charlotte Hornets-LA Lakers game

LA Lakers' Russell Westbrook and Charlotte Hornets' Miles Bridges got into an altercation after the former was issued a blocking foul while guarding the latter. Shortly after the call went in favor of Bridges, he ended up being on the receiving end of a technical foul.

Westbrook was asked about the incident after the game. He revealed that the Hornets forward taunted him, saying he was too small to guard him, which led to his technical foul.

Russell Westbrook did not hold back from adding a cheeky statement after mentioning the reason behind Bridges drawing a tech. Here's what the LA Lakers point guard said (via Kyle Goon):

"I think he was trying to say I was too small or something. And he and I know that ain't the case."

Miles Bridges and the Charlotte Hornets had the last laugh, though, as they won the tie 117-114. Bridges scored a team-high 26 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists.

Russell Westbrook scores 30 points in the second half against Hornets, records the highest score by an LA Lakers player since Kobe Bryant's final game

Russell Westbrook had to lead the LA Lakers' charge against the Charlotte Hornets, as Anthony Davis and LeBron James were both ruled out for the contest due to injuries. Westbrook arguably recorded his best performance in the Purple and Gold jersey, recording 35 points, four rebounds and five assists, shooting 52% from the field.

The 2017 NBA MVP didn't start the game as well as he would have liked, scoring only five points in the first half. However, he helped the Lakers rally back after they trailed by 20 points in the first quarter. They were able to cut the Hornets' lead down to only one point with 24 seconds left on the game clock.

Russell Westbrook scored 16 points alone in the fourth quarter, shooting 60% from the field and recording zero turnovers in the process. However, he missed the go-ahead 3-point field goal at the end of the match as LA lost their second-straight game.

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Nevertheless, this was arguably the LA Lakers' least disappointing win. They put up a fighting display without LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Malik Monk, who have been crucial to their plans all season long.

Their fightback was impressive without these three players. The biggest takeaway for the side would be Westbrook's impressive play. He was a vital cog in the LA Lakers' comeback attempt. Frank Vogel will be hoping the 33-year-old can continue to play like this on a nightly basis moving forward.