Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook was a key factor in the Game 1 win against the Suns on Sunday, despite a 3-for-19 shooting performance.
While he wasn’t getting his shot to fall, Westbrook impacted the game on various other levels, doing plenty of the dirty work for Los Angeles on the road in Phoenix.
The 34-year-old provided 10 rebounds in Sunday’s Game 1, five of which came on the offensive end.
After the game, Westbrook dropped a bold take about where he ranks among guards in terms of his rebounding ability, via Joey Linn.
“At this position, humbly speaking, nobody is a better rebounder than me,” Westbrook said.
Russell Westbrook: “At this position, humbly speaking, nobody is a better rebounder than me.”
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) April 17, 2023
Westbrook more than made amends for his shooting woes when he locked up Devin Booker during the waning moments of the fourth quarter, emphatically blocking his shot and then grabbing the rebound and throwing it off the Suns’ star to regain possession for the Clippers.
He may have shot just over 15% from the field in Game 1, but Westbrook wasn’t lacking any confidence when addressing reporters in the aftermath, going as far as to call himself the top rebounding guard in the league.
After Sunday’s performance, it’s hard to argue with him.