By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook shrugged off the chorus of boos that descended on the team after a blowout home loss and vowed to stay positive despite the team’s struggles.
The shorthanded squad suffered the humiliating 123-95 loss on Sunday to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers (27-33 https://www.nba.com/standings) are in ninth place in the Western Conference with 22 games remaining, a far cry from where they expected to be at the start of the season.
“With what’s going on with the season, injuries, even the crowd today booing, it’s a lot for some people. It can take a toll,” Westbrook said after the game.
“All I can do is stay positive, keep encouraging my teammates and keep building confidence in our locker room,” Westbrook added.
The veteran point guard, who joined the Lakers last offseason, said it was important for the team to stick together and resist the urge to blame one another after disappointing performances.
“During times like these everybody likes to point fingers,” Westbrook said. “That’s the easy way out, instead of owning what we do and making sure we have each other’s backs and are there for your brother.”
The Lakers will be without Anthony Davis for at least the next three weeks after the forward suffered a mid-foot sprain during a game on Feb. 16, a significant setback for the team that has struggled to build cohesiveness among its stars.
As far as the booing goes, Westbrook dismissed the notion that he takes it home with him.
“Do I take it home with me? Nah,” he said with a smile.
“I’ve got three beautiful kids at my house and my wife. I ain’t taking it home. They can take their booing and they can take their ass home. I ain’t worried about that. It doesn’t bother me none.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Will Dunham)
