While the Los Angeles Clippers were losing badly to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of their first-round series, Russell Westbrook made sure his team didn’t go down without a fight on Friday.
Unfortunately for Clippers fans, the former MVP took the phrase a bit too literally when he got into a scuffle with the Dallas Mavericks, notably P.J. Washington.
With six minutes left and facing a 16-point deficit, Westbrook had the unenviable task of guarding Luka Doncic, who finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Doncic blew right past Westbrook, leading to a horse-collar-like foul by the Clippers guard. Doncic immediately took exception to it, which Westbrook responded to with a shove.
Earlier in the game, Westbrook had already received a flagrant foul one for a hard contest on a Josh Green dunk attempt. So, it’s safe to say the Mavericks were less than pleased with Westbrook’s antics by this point.
In the midst of the skirmish, Washington came to the defence of his Mavericks teammate and Westbrook could be seen throwing a jab in the direction of the forward. It also wasn’t the first time the two have exchanged words in a moment of tension, as they nearly got into it during Game 1.
After both parties were separated and officials reviewed the incident, Westbrook was assessed two technicals, one for his foul and follow-up with Doncic and a second for the swing at Washington. Meanwhile, Washington was given one technical foul but was still ejected for his role in escalating the scuffle.
Washington, acquired from the Charlotte Hornets mid-season, didn’t seem too bothered by the altercation. He decided to strike a pose and stare at the Clippers bench, something he noted was done with intent.
“Terance Mann was mad that I was looking at their bench, so I decided to look at it again,” Washington said post-game, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I wanted to get my flicks right for after the game.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd commended Washington’s energy on the night saying the big man was “not afraid of anything.”
“He’s competing, we’re all competing for each inch to find a way to win,” Kidd said post-game, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “The series is going to be more mental as it goes on, because of the physicality … I thought the guys did a great job of protecting one another.”
It’s unclear if Westbrook was trying to send a message to Doncic and the Mavericks or simply frustrated by his own play in the contest. The nine-time All-Star, who had never previously been ejected in a playoff contest, left the game having scored just one point after shooting 0-for-7 from the field.
Dallas went on to beat Los Angeles, 101-90, as the Mavericks took a 2-1 series lead. The Clippers took Game 1 in a 12-point rout, but have since lost back-to-back contests.
It’ll be interesting to see if either Westbrook or Washington receive any supplemental discipline ahead of Game 4 on Sunday in Dallas.