KEY POINTS

  • The Lakers bow to the Rockets in overtime to extend their road losing streak to nine
  • Russell Westbrook explains how addressing outside factors helps his game
  • Lakers head coach Frank Vogel assesses LeBron James and his team's performance

Russell Westbrook played a terrific game, but the Los Angeles Lakers still fell short against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, March 9.

The Lakers have once again exhausted everything in their arsenal against the Rockets as the team tries to get back to its winning ways.

However, the “Purple and Gold” ended up losing 139-130 in OT to extend their road games losing streak to nine.

Westbrook headed to the game with sort of a relief, having opened up about his real thoughts on fans and media people trolling him and his family.

He finished the game with a team-high 30 points that went along with eight rebounds and six assists.

Speaking to reporters after the game, “Russ” admitted that voicing his real feelings about certain matters has been doing him well thus far.

Hence, he wants to do it in a consistent manner to be able to be in his best form.

“I think, for me, to be able to express and talk calmly, and get things off your chest is always good for me and not holding it in but allow myself to express and express the important things in my life,” Westbrook confessed. “And make sure I do that consistently because it’s just better for me to be able to go and play the way I need to play for this team.”

This has been the first time Westbrook racked up 30 points in a game since January when he dropped 35 in the Lakers’ 117-114 loss to the Hornets.

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers congratulates LeBron James #6 after scoring he scored a basket and was fouled against the Detroit Pistons Getty Images | Kevork Djansezian

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, on the other hand, came clean about his team’s performance.

For Vogel, the Lakers did their best out there against the young Rockets squad.

“Our guys competed. They fought,” the coach mentioned. “We had too many defensive breakdowns throughout the game, the controllable things that we have to be better with, but our guys fought and it just wasn’t enough.”

LeBron James made his return from knee soreness as the four-time NBA MVP had another sensational triple-double.

“He’s giving us everything he has,” Vogel said of James. “Obviously, [he had] a really terrific game, even though he didn’t shoot the ball that well.”

The Lakers will try to steal a win when they head back home against the Washington Wizards on Friday, March 11.

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