On March 22, Beijing time, the Lakers beat the Cavaliers 131-120 away from home, Westbrook continued the recent good form, he played 35 minutes in this game, 7 of 14 shooting, 6 of 2 three-pointers, 4 of 7 free throws, 20 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists. It is worth mentioning that his plus-minus is +23 the highest in the whole game.
Lakers celebrity Magic Johnson specifically praised Westbrook after the game: "In the past three games, Westbrook played his best game as a Lakers player!" Wei Shao finally got the approval of the magician, to know that in the previous game, the magician had criticized Wei Shao for needing to recognize his position, fight less with the media, and focus on reversing the situation of the Lakers.
In the last 3 games, Westbrook has really played better, and it is really not easy for him. The Lakers' record is not good, and Wei Shao, as the player that the Lakers focused on introducing in the offseason last year, has come under tremendous pressure. His inaccurate shooting led many people to mock him as a "blacksmith" some time ago.
Westbrook shot just 3-of-22 from three-point range in the first nine games in March. The famous Skip Velez was even more furious, which eventually caused Westbrook's wife to tear Up Velez off the field. Still, Velez went his own way. Westbrook finally broke out against the Raptors on the road on March 19, shooting 22 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and a triple-double, 4 of 7 three-pointers, and also shot a three-pointer.
That game gave Westbrook confidence back, and against the Wizards on March 20, Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, 10-of-15 shooting, and 2-of-3 three-pointers. In this game, Westbrook contributed 20 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists.
Westbrook has averaged 21.3 points, eight rebounds and 9.7 assists in his last three games, shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. For comparison, Westbrook averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game this season, shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from three-point range. Obviously, Wei Shao's offensive efficiency has greatly improved recently.
It is worth mentioning that before the start of this battle, a reporter asked the reason for the increase in Wei Shao's hit rate. Vogel said: "I think he (Westbrook) was able to shoot those balls because he was slowing down. ”
Previously, when Wei Shao's state was in a downturn, a reporter asked the reason, and Vogel had stated that Wei Shao was a bit hasty. Wei Shao, who is in the trough, has calmed down, and his offensive efficiency has improved in the last 3 games, and the overall performance of the Lakers has also improved. If in a game against the Wizards, Vogel did not die clinging to the five small lineups, the Lakers would have hoped to win 3 consecutive games. After this game, the Lakers' record returned to ninth in the West, and the team's goal in the regular season is still to try to hold the playoff spot.