Russell Westbrook takes issue with Celtics big man breaking this unwritten rule
Rising from the sidelines, Russell Westbrook made his displeasure unmistakable albeit brief at the end of Friday’s 112-93 blowout loss after Boston Celtics reserve Chris Boucher hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
As Boucher began walking off the court, he slowed and glanced toward midcourt, where Westbrook — who had been seated courtside while missing his second straight game with a foot injury — had stood up and was waving both arms in exaggerated motions, shouting toward the 6-foot-8 center.
Westbrook was dressed in conspicuous street clothes that drew attention even before the exchange: a white, oversized puffer jacket with bright white gloves that made his arm motions stand out like a maestro, his body language animated but contained.
Boucher responded with a brief gesture back in Westbrook’s direction before changing course and walking over.
The two met near midcourt in full view of the crowd and the NBC Sports cameras. Boucher wrapped an arm around Westbrook’s shoulder and leaned in, speaking calmly as Westbrook continued to reason with him. The exchange appeared to cool quickly. After a short conversation, the two patted each other on the head a couple of times and separated, each heading toward his respective locker room.
Westbrook’s reaction came after Boucher took a final heave rather than dribbling out the clock, a move widely frowned upon around the league. An unwritten NBA rule, running out the clock is generally seen as a sign of respect once the outcome is decided, and Westbrook was not the only King who appeared to take issue with the buzzer-beater.
Taking a shot after the outcome has been decided is widely frowned upon by players. An unwritten rule of the NBA, it is generally viewed as a sign of respect to run out the clock rather than risk embarrassing an opponent. Westbrook wasn’t the only King who took issue with the shot.
“I mean, I’m old school,” DeMar DeRozan said. “So I’m always going to be for the rule of respect. No matter if I have 99 points and I could have a free layup with 10 seconds to go, I’m not going to shoot it. Pull it out, just out of respect for the game. That’s just my old school mentality. I’m not a big fan of doing something like that.”
Added Kings head coach Doug Christie: “Yeah, there’s always rules to our game. ... It’s not what we do, but it’s a part of what we experience when we do what we do. So you deal with it and you move on.”
The Kings move on in the hopes of snapping their eight-game skid Sunday in Washington, D.C. Tip-off against the Wizards is set for 3 p.m. Pacific time.
