Russell Westbrook’s top 10 games of the 2021-22 season: No. 4

In November, the many problems for the Los Angeles Lakers that defined their 2021-22 season were just beginning.

LeBron James missed 11 of their 19 games with a sprained ankle and ab injury, and Russell Westbrook was having some difficulty fitting in.

With James on the shelf, Anthony Davis coming down with a non-COVID illness and the team losing two of the first three games of its first extended road trip, Westbrook was called upon to step things up.

With the Lakers holding only a 9-9 record, they headed into Madison Square Garden on Nov. 23 to take on the New York Knicks.

L.A. fell behind by a huge margin in the first half, but Westbrook scored 18 points in the third quarter to get it back in the game.

He finished with 31 points while shooting 10-of-18 from the field, 8-of-9 from the free throw line and 3-of-6 from 3-point range. By adding 13 rebounds and 10 assists, Westbrook ended up tallying a triple-double.

Unfortunately, the Lakers ran out of gas down the stretch and fell to New York, 106-100.

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Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire