LOS ANGELES — White AirPods in his ears, his gaze locked onto the Sacramento highlights playing on a locker-room television, Russell Westbrook bobbed his head Friday night at a locker a few feet down the Crypto.com Arena hallway from his old one.
Situated within new digs and a new offense and surrounded by new teammates, the former Los Angeles Laker and newest Los Angeles Clipper prepared for his first opportunity to show a new side: One in which the former most valuable player could quell his most damaging traits, emphasize his most useful, all while raising the Clippers’ potential.
What followed was the highest-scoring game in Clippers history, one displaying two overtimes, zero defense, Kawhi Leonard’s entire offensive arsenal and the full Westbrook experience, his imprint left all over the debut of his fifth team in five seasons in ways that ran the spectrum from positive to puzzling in a 176-175 loss.
