Inside The Rockets

Russell Westbrook Talks Dominance Over Rudy Gobert: 'I Do What I Want'

Russell Westbrook scored 34 points in the Rockets' 120-110 win vs. Utah on Saturday.

Michael Shapiro

Russell Westbrook has thrived since Jan. 1, and his production has only accelerated since former center Clint Capela left the Rockets' rotation in February. Saturday night continued Westbrook's dominant stretch.

The 2016-17 MVP torched the Jazz to the tune of 34 points on 14-26 shooting in Houston's 120-110 win, marking Westbrook's second straight 30-point effort against Utah. And Westbrook's 34 points didn't come against a middling defense. Instead, Westbrook controlled the contest vs. two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert.

Gobert was the latest center to be Westbrook's primary defender, continuing a pattern in Capela's absence. As the Rockets go small, Westbrook often positions himself on the baseline when James Harden runs the offense. Without a reliable three-point shot, Westbrook lurks near the rim, waiting to affect the game as a cutter and offensive rebounder in the half court. In transition, Westbrook is an immediate mismatch, bursting down the floor past opposing bigs for dunks and layups. Westbrook certainly made his presence known on Saturday night.

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Westbrook discussed Utah's defensive strategy when speaking with the media postgame.

"Everybody's been doing it, but I don't know if it's working," Westbrook said. "I do what I want. I do whatever I want. Get to the basket, shoot. Drive and kick, my pace and speed, it's something you can't scout for."

Westbrook is among the league's most imposing forces near the tin, trailing only Bradley Beal in points via drives in his last 10 games. But Westbrook's scoring extended far outside the lane on Saturday. He hit a pair of threes and six mid-range jumpers against the Jazz, turning back the clock to his Oklahoma City days. But despite Westbrook's strong shooting night, Gobert didn't seem to mind his team's strategy. 

"I think having Russ being guarded by one of our guards is a mismatch, and at least when I’m guarding him he doesn’t get to the rim," Gobert said on Saturday, per The Salt Lake Tribune's Eric Walden. "We make him work, and he’s able to make those shots sometimes.”

Gobert and Utah appeared to goad Westbrook into taking jump shots on Saturday night, even as the Rockets point guard racked up the points. Westbrook invited the challenge, especially when given room to take pull-up jumpers.

"That's cash. Cotton shot," Westbrook said postgame. "Me and my pops worked on that [when I was] 14 years old. Cash money."

Westbrook has scored 30-plus points in four of his last five contests, and he's averaging 34.1 points per game in his last 10 appearances. More important than Westbrook's hot streak is the Rockets' position in the Western Conference. Houston leapt over Utah for No. 4 in the West on Saturday, and the Rockets also have the tiebreaker over their conference rival. As teams jockey for seeding down the stretch, Saturday's win could prove critical.

Westbrook and the Rockets will look to build upon their 36–20 record on Monday as they host the Knicks. Tip-off from the Toyota Center in Houston is slated for 7 p.m. CT.

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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

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