Russell Westbrook is not having a good week, or a good year for that matter. His Washington Wizards are now 3-12 in the season, giving them the worst record in the NBA, and he is shooting below 40 percent off the ground for the first time since his debut season. The frustration stemming from that failure affected the Washington stars, but unlike Bradley Beal, who is often caught sloppy or looking disappointed, Westbrook found more active ways to express his fury.
On Friday, this took the form of an ejection. Westbrook suffered his first technical foul in the second quarter, when he and Rajon Rondo were charged after an altercation. In the fourth period, Westbrook pushed Rondo and quickly received his second technical foul. He was kicked out of there, with Rondo waving goodbye from the free throw line when Westbrook left the game.
Rondo is known for this kind of daring, and even started a famous fight with Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets two seasons ago. But Westbrook has now had two difficulties this week alone. On Tuesday, Westbrook met his former team, the Houston Rockets, for the first time. He and the player he was traded for, John Wall, had a heated argument on the floor and were also called on for a technical duo.
Westbrook has dealt with personal frustrations before and has always been known as someone who carries his emotions up his sleeve, but this situation is new to him. Westbrook has reached the postseason in all seasons since his debut year, and has often competed in championships with the Thunder and Rockets. Now he plays for the worst team in the NBA and has been a big part of the defeats. He’s not adjusting well to the new circumstances, and it helped the Hawks to get a comfortable win over the Wizards on Friday.