Russell Westbrook came through in the clutch for the Washington Wizards with a terrific hustle play on the offensive glass. Wizards forward Rui Hachimura missed the second of a pair of free throws in the closing seconds. However, Westbrook came out of nowhere, leaping over everyone underneath to tip the offensive rebound to the waiting arms of teammate Bradley Beal.
Beal was able to dribble out the clock to secure the Wizards’ 119-117 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
As the ball came off the rim from Hachimura’s free throw, Clippers center Ivica Zubac appeared in prime position for the rebound after boxing out Davis Bertans. Clippers Kawhi Leonard also got set to grab the rebound with 7.0 seconds remaining. Yet, the crafty and aggressive Westbrook swooped under to get a hand on the ball, changing its path.
The rebound was officially awarded to Beal, leaving Westbrook one rebound shy of his 11th triple-double of the season.
Still, Russell Westbrook finished with 27 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and one heck of effort play. That play won’t show up on the box score, but Russ and the Wizards will take the win. They close out the first half of the season with a 14-20 record, snapping a two-game losing streak in the process.
