It’s safe to say that Draymond Green got the best of Russell Westbrook last night.
For years the Warriors have sagged off Westbrook to great effect, daring him to shoot inefficient jumpers. Green took that to a new level in Golden State’s thrilling win vs. the Clippers on Thursday, literally standing in the key while Westbrook dribbled the ball from beyond the 3-point line.
The philosophy worked wonders. Westbrook shot poorly, going 3-for-12 and 0-for-5 from 3, scoring just eight points in 28 minutes. Much of the time he also elected not to shoot. It was clear Green was in his head, and it was enough for former NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas to sound off on Twitter.
“Come on Russ we gotta step in and shoot that,” Thomas said. “That ain’t coo! OKC Russ is firing that even if he 1/10. Mindset and confidence is everything”
Here’s what Green said about his defense postgame: