Watch: Russell Westbrook converts clutch and-one bucket against Utah Jazz, goes on to play drums on LeBron James' head in hilarious celebration
Russell Westbrook knows how to celebrate a clutch bucket. Westbrook provided the dagger play for the LA Lakers as he went coast-to-coast to finish a layup and draw a foul against the Utah Jazz with forty seconds left in the contest on Monday night.
Russell Westbrook's three-point play (he made the ensuing free throw) gave the Lakers an eight-point lead (98-90), which ultimately led to a 101-95 win for the Lakers.
He celebrated the high-pressure transition basket by first doing a bit of a dance, slapping hands with Anthony Davis and then tapping LeBron James' head as if he were playing the drums. The entire Russell Westbrook segment brought the Lakers fans present at Crypto.com Arena to their feet.
RUSS CLUTCH AND-1 💪 https://t.co/9GTua3iO4h
LA Lakers get first win in four games as LeBron James scores 25 points, Westbrook chips in with 15
This was a great win for the LA Lakers against the Utah Jazz. After having their effort and intensity questioned following their blowout 37-point loss to the Denver Nuggets in the last game, the Lakers bounced back nicely. Despite trailing 74-83 with 9:30 left in the game, the Lakers outscored the Jazz 27-12 the rest of the way to bring up their first victory after losing three straight.
LeBron James had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the win for the Lakers, while Russell Westbrook contributed 15 points and eight rebounds. It was LeBron's 14th consecutive 25-point game. The Lakers also got good contributions from Malik Monk (14 points) and Stanley Johnson (15 points, 7-of-9 shooting from the field) off the bench.
LeBron James and the @Lakers battle back in the fourth quarter to pick up the big home win!
LeBron James: 25 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST
Stanley Johnson: 15 PTS, 5 REB, 2 BLK
Russell Westbrook: 15 PTS, 8 REB
Rudy Gobert: 19 PTS, 16 REB, 3 BLK https://t.co/oyvX2Swn9o
Speaking on his team's improved effort, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said in his post-game comments:
"Very encouraged. It's been what's commanded of our guys."
Frank Vogel on tonight's defense/energy: "Very encouraged. It's been what's commanded of our guys."
The Jazz are the league's number one offensive rating team. The fact that the Lakers held them to under 100 points was a tribute to their terrific defensive play, particularly in the fourth quarter. Vogel laid particular emphasis on this aspect of the Lakers game if they have to continue with their winning ways. He told the media:
"We're going nowhere without being a great defensive team...When we play like this, we know we can beat anybody...There's a big lesson to be learned from this game."
Vogel on his takeaways from tonight: "We're going nowhere without being a great defensive team...When we play like this, we know we can beat anybody...There's a big lesson to be learned from this game."
The LA Lakers improved to a 22-22 regular season record with the six-point win over Utah. They now host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, where they will be hoping to go over a .500 record.