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Russell Westbrook hit back at his critics following an emphatic performance in the LA Lakers' win against the Utah Jazz on Monday.
Westbrook is having a tough time in his debut season with the Lakers. The former MVP and future Hall of Famer has had many doubters due to his poor performances coinciding with the Lakers' struggles in the first half of the season.
At 33, Russell Westbrook is athletic, but not what he was with the OKC Thunder. Moreover, the 2017 NBA MVP has had four surgeries on his right knee. However, he quietened his naysayers with an emphatic dunk on Rudy Gobert on Monday night.
After the game, Westbrook was asked about his dunk on the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He noted that the dunk gave the team the energy they needed to get the win. He also answered a question regarding people doubting his diminishing vertical ability.
"Yeah, that’s people’s problem. That’s they problem," Westbrook said.
Westbrook's dunk on Gobert is certainly a candidate for Dunk of the Year. Westbrook stared down Gobert, and was given a technical foul by the referee. However, he did not care about the call, and celebrated the dunk in what has been his best play in a Lakers uniform so far.
Russell Westbrook plays for 28 minutes in LA Lakers' win over Utah Jazz
The LA Lakers were back in the win column with an impressive win against the Utah Jazz on Monday at Crypto.com Arena. Coming off a 37-point loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers were looking to bounce back after one of their worst performances of the season.
LeBron James continued playing heavy minutes, finishing with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Westbrook, who played just 28 minutes and sat for most of the fourth quarter, had 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
The LA Lakers' bench did the most damage, as they bagged 44 points, with Stanley Johnson putting up 15 points and Malik Monk adding 14. It was a total team effort from the Lakers, demonstrating their ability to play defense down the stretch. They held the Utah Jazz to just 17 points in the final quarter.
Russell Westbrook sealed the win with under a minute to go, driving to the basket to get a lay-up and a foul. Westbrook hits the bonus free throw to give the Lakers a 98-90 lead. He followed that up with two more free throws to give the Lakers an upset 101-95 win.
The Lakers will host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday before going on a six-game Eastern Conference road trip. They'll visit teams such as the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
Guess the Lakers players!
