Russell Westbrook Took The Ultimate Ja Morant Challenge During Lakers' Win Over Grizzlies

Russell Westbrook wanted to be the man to guard Ja Morant in the clutch during the Lakers' win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Credit: Fadeaway World

Russell Westbrook has been the object of a surprising amount of ridicule since his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers began. Some fans have almost forgotten that Westbrook is an MVP, a Hall Of Famer, and one of the best guards to ever play the game. And while he isn't the player he once was, he will occasionally remind the NBA world of it. 

Russell Westbrook's offense is not what it once was. While inefficiency and carelessness were issues for him before, he would make up for them by sheer force. He's found some of his game again off the bench for the Lakers, but it's far from what it was. But Russell Westbrook's defense is an underrated part of his game, and that tenacity hasn't gone anywhere, as Ja Morant can testify. Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham revealed after the game that Westbrook asked to guard Ja when it mattered. 

"Russ' defense on Ja Morant at the end — it was great. He stepped up in the huddle and said 'I got him. Let me take him.' That's the type of assertiveness that we need to go where we want to go."

Russell Westbrook knows how tough it is to make a final shot in the clutch, he failed against the Philadelphia 76ers recently. But his defense on Ja Morant made him miss a shot and even though Brandon Clarke got it back and got to the free-throw line, the Lakers held on to win the game. 

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Russell Westbrook Spoke About His Clutch Defense Against Ja Morant

Tempers were running high in the game, with the Grizzlies even beefing with Shannon Sharpe who was on the sidelines. Ja Morant is hard to deal with even without the extra motivation for the youngest, most athletic players, many liken him to a young Russ. But Westbrook took the challenge on and passed it, speaking about why he asked for it after the game. 

“I just know I’m a very good defender. And I believe in my abilities to be able to stop anybody, no matter what position. That’s it.”

To be fair, Ja Morant struggled all night against the Lakers, making only 9 of his 29 shot attempts and scoring just 22 points. But it was defense from Westbrook and his teammates that made this possible, Russ is still very much an influential leader when he decides to be. More of this version of Russell Westbrook will only work out brilliantly for the Lakers. 

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