You knew it was going to happen. It was a perfect storm for Russell Westbrook. He was snubbed by Kevin Durant when his former teammate chose to go to Golden State. He had developed a rivalry against the loaded Warriors. He was snubbed by All-Star voters, forced to ride the bench despite his tremendous triple-double heavy season.
The circumstances were not exactly how we envisioned them, but Westbrook did not disappoint. The Thunder guard scored a jaw-dropping 41 points on Sunday and (just as impressive) he did it in only 19 minutes of playing time.
Westbrook was on pace for winning his third-straight All-Star MVP award before Anthony Davis snatched it away with a phenomenal fourth quarter.
Nevertheless, Sunday night was another highlight in a season that has been filled with them. Westbrook not only wowed the crowd with his scoring and jaw-dropping dunks, but he also had a nice moment with Durant, the first we have seen since the latter’s decision to move away from his best friend.
It was an altogether successful All-Star Game for Russell Westbrook. Now he goes back to work in leading the Thunder to the postseason and beyond.
