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Russell Westbrook has claimed his back injury stems from “sitting down for long stretches” on the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench.
Westbrook and the Lakers have endured a dismal season following his move from the Washington Wizards.
The former MVP, who averaged a triple-double last year for the fourth time in his career, has struggled to have an impact for a Lakers team who have missed star men LeBron James and Anthony Davis for long periods.
Westbrook is averaging 18.3 points – his lowest mark since his second season in the NBA in 2009-10 – along with 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel has seemingly lost faith in the point guard, who has started all 55 games this year but is finding himself on the bench at crunch time.
Twice in 2022 Westbrook has not played a single second for the Lakers in the fourth quarter – most recently in their last game, a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Before the Bucks defeat, Westbrook was also kept on the bench for the entirety of overtime against the New York Knicks, having scored a season-low five points on 1-of-10 shooting in 29 minutes.
The player was then missing from this week’s Portland Trail Blazers game that followed the Bucks’ visit, and he – along with James – has been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game at the Golden State Warriors.
Asked to explain the back pain that is keeping him out of action, Westbrook said on Friday: “It comes and goes.
“I’m not accustomed to sitting down for long stretches and getting up and then, like, moving quickly. It kind of stiffens up a little bit.”
