Westbrook: I was 'solid' despite going 0-of-11
Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook defended his performance Thursday night after shooting 0-of-11 from the field in a 103-97 loss to the rival Los Angeles Clippers.
"Solid," Westbrook said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "Played hard. All you can ask for. Go on to the next one."
Westbrook missed six 3-point attempts, with the whole team struggling to connect from beyond the arc. The Lakers finished the game 9-of-45 from three, failing to make a single one in the fourth quarter.
LeBron James offered words of encouragement to his embattled teammate, who has started the Lakers' first two games this season despite preseason speculation about him potentially coming off the bench.
"Just flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday," James said. "He's a veteran. We've all had bad shooting nights. I've had bad shooting nights. Everybody in this league has had bad shooting nights. Who cares?
"I thought he played a great game. Defensively, he was in tune. He was locked in. He pushed the tempo. He just didn't make any shots, and that's OK."
The Lakers will have an opportunity to secure their first win Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.