Russell Westbrook, finally, has been playing well of late, as he has put up four consecutive good or great games and is averaging 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game on red-hot shooting during that span.
The Los Angeles Lakers will need him to keep up this type of play if they will have any chance of making the playoffs and doing something positive there.
But first, L.A. needs to get to the play-in tournament. It is currently in ninth place in the Western Conference, as it is tied with the New Orleans Pelicans but holds the tiebreaker.
The two teams will play each other twice before the regular season ends, and the first of those battles will take place Sunday in Louisiana.
Here is what Westbrook had to say about that matchup.
Russell Westbrook on Sunday matchup with Pelicans: "It's going to be a playoff-type of atmosphere for us. It's definitely a must-win I believe for our group."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 24, 2022
Besides the seeding implications of those two games versus New Orleans, they will also be important in terms of confidence and morale.
It seems that in recent days, the Lakers have been starting to feel better about themselves, to the point that they may be starting to believe they can “do something special” in the playoffs.
But that feeling may be ephemeral, as one or two losses in games they should’ve won, or one or two blowout losses like the ones they’ve had throughout the season could reduce them back to their old feelings of self-pity.
With many tough games remaining, the Lakers would be best off if Westbrook not only continues to play well but also shows the urgency he preached in that comment about Sunday’s game on the court.
