Tramel's ScissorTales: Russell Westbrook fails to deliver this time in Lakers' collapse vs. Thunder
In August, the Los Angeles Lakers traded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzman and Isaiah Jackson to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook and three second-round draft picks.
And nights like Tuesday and Wednesday were the reason why.
LeBron James sat out both games, against the Spurs and the Thunder, with a sprained ankle.
When you’re a top-heavy team, which is the Lakers’ lot after trading for a 33-year-old superstar, your depth needs are not normal depth needs.
For most teams, depth means quality players down at the seventh and eighth and ninth spots on the roster. For the Lakers, depth means a massive talent when LeBron, perhaps the greatest player in NBA history, is sitting out games or taking a rest on the bench.
That’s Westbrook’s ultimate value to the Lakers. Not how well he fits with LeBron and Anthony Davis – Westbrook does not fit well with LeBron or AD – but how much he keeps the Lakers afloat without LeBron.
Tuesday night, Westbrook was at the zenith of the Lakers’ 125-121 overtime win in San Antonio.
Wednesday night, Westbrook was the reason the Lakers lost 123-115 to the previously-winless Thunder.
It’s no longer stunning to see Westbrook in non-Thunder threads. He's been a Rocket, a Wizard and now a Laker since his July 2019 trade from the Thunder, instigated by Paul George’s trade request to the Clippers.
Triple-double, ejection: Russell Westbrook gives Oklahoma City fans an eventful night in his return
The OKC crowd embraced Westbrook spectacularly when he returned as a Rocket 21 months ago, perhaps only a little less so Wednesday night, for his second game in front of Thunder fans as an opponent.
And like always, Westbrook was a lightning rod. He produced the standard triple-double – a quadruple-double, if you count his 10 turnovers – and frenetic behavior at the end of the game. Westbrook took issue with Darius Bazley’s end-of-game breakaway dunk, which padded the Thunder’s lead to seven.
Westbrook was given a technical foul and ejected, since he previously had received a technical foul for hitting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the head after a foul. Westbrook later claimed he didn’t deserve the first tech, and he was right – it should have been a flagrant foul.
But Westbrook’s antics are nothing new. His play is what’s important to the Lakers. And the Lakers are getting exactly what they should have known they were getting.
A mercurial, still-outrageous point guard who is all over the court but who doesn’t always contribute to winning.
Westbrook played almost 35 minutes Wednesday night, during which the Lakers were outscored by 12 points. Do you know how difficult it is for this Thunder team to outscore any team by 12 points over 35 minutes?
In the 35 minutes Westbrook played, the Thunder scored 95 points. Before the Laker game, OKC had been averaging 94.5 points for the full 48 minutes of a game.
Westbrook’s commitment to sustained defense, while never fantastic, could be getting worse, as his incredible athletic ability slowly recedes.
But it’s his offense that draws eyeballs, and Westbrook’s numbers were crazy like always: 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting, including 2-of-8 from 3-point range, to go with 14 rebounds and 13 assists.
That’s actually what the Lakers need, with LeBron sidelined. Cut down on so many 3-pointers, of course. And the Lakers could use more of Westbrook getting out on shooters instead of lingering in the lane to grab rebounds, but that’s sort of to be expected anymore. Kind of ironic that Westbrook was so enraged by Bazley’s game-finishing dunk, when Westbrook is the king of stat-padding. But I digress.
More: Here is the OKC Thunder's roster and player contracts entering 2021-22 NBA regular season
The chief problem for Westbrook is all those turnovers. Westbrook always has been a high-turnover point guard, and that’s no big deal. Unless you’re talking about 10.
This was the sixth turnover-induced quadruple double in Westbrook’s career, which going back to 1985 is an NBA record. James Harden has had three, no other player ever has had more than one, according to Statmuse.
"I got to take care of the ball," Westbrook said. "Too many mishaps allowed. It's my fault. It's on me. But I'm going to take care of it. I know that. And keep the game simple. Because we need those possessions, especially in games like this."
There is no valid reason to believe that Westbrook will start taking care of the ball. This is who he is. This is who he always has been. It’s just now, he’s 33 and can’t do all the things he did at 23.
Sometimes it still works. Down in San Antonio, Westbrook threw away the ball with 23 seconds left in regulation, but the Spurs failed to score and the game went to overtime.
And Westbrook’s value to the Lakers shined through. He scored on a drive to start overtime, and the Lakers led the rest of the way. Westbrook sped the ball upcourt on a fast break, and though he missed the drive, Davis was there for the follow shot that gave the Lakers a 119-114 lead. Westbrook later rebounded a San Antonio miss, hurried the ball upcourt and dunked for a 121-115 lead.
Westbrook’s final numbers were awesome: 33 points on 15-of-27 shooting, 10 rebounds, eight assists, three turnovers.
Without the Westbrook trade, the Lakers probably lose in San Antonio. But without the Westbrook trade, the Lakers probably win in OKC.
Especially since the Lakers had a 26-point lead in the second quarter.
"A disappointing loss, but a lesson learned," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. "An NBA season is a long season and a lesson for our group that you can't ever take your foot off the gas against anyone."
Basketball teams with a bunch of 30somethings shouldn’t have to learn lessons. And Davis sort of knows that.
"This ain't no adjustment period at all," said Davis, who basically was unguardable early in the game but had just 18 points in the final 38½ minutes. “Not this game. That's just straight on us ... this isn't an adjustment game where I feel like it's, 'Oh, we're still learning each other.' ... Nah. Not this game."
LeBron apparently will be back soon, and Westbrook can become less of a lightning rod. But he’s still a 33-year-old point guard with all kinds of issues. Averaging 6.0 turnovers per game. Shooting 4-of-23 from 3-point range. A minus-38 in point differential. The Lakers have been better without him than with him so far this season.
Buckle up for a rough Laker ride.
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National pregame: Huge game for Harbaugh & Michigan
Jim Harbaugh’s coaching record at Michigan is 56-22. That’s right; 56-22. Not 22-56.
Jim Harbaugh has a better coaching record at Michigan than James Franklin does at Penn State. Franklin is 65-30 in Happy Valley. Harbaugh’s better in the Big Ten, too (38-16; Franklin is 40-25).
Harbaugh has a better record than Brian Kelly has at Notre Dame (87-39), than David Shaw has at Stanford (93-40), than Mike Gundy has at OSU (143-68).
Yet Harbaugh is seen as struggling at Michigan, and we all know why. The Wolverines have beaten Ohio State just once since 2003, and that solitary victory (2011) came before Harbaugh’s return to his alma mater.
But the Wolverines are 6-0, ranked sixth in the nation and Saturday play the game of the day in college football, at No. 8 Michigan State.
Harbaugh is known as a provocative coach who often steps out of school with some of his comments. But this week, he’s nothing but positive about Michigan State.
“They’re playing team football, winning football,” Harbaugh said. “On offense, they take care of the ball, the running game is outstanding. The quarterback is playing very well, very efficiently versus all coverages and you're gonna get very good splits, very good scrambling, averaging eight yards a run.
“Defensively, playing really good defense. They’ve got a lot of tendencies to pick up on and they play really well on special teams. They play really good ball.”
Boring. Accurate, but boring.
The same might be said of Michigan, which closes with a gauntlet. The Wolverines play at Penn State on November 13, then host Ohio State on November 27.
A loss to Michigan State doesn’t knock out the Wolverines from the Big Ten race, but a victory will instill confidence for that stretch run.
And maybe people will realize that Harbaugh has won a bunch of games at Michigan.
More: Does OU quarterback Caleb Williams have a chance to win the Heisman Trophy? Odds say so.
Upset special: Iowa over Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a proud program that has stumbled of late. The Badgers went 4-3 last season and are 4-3 this season.
Wisconsin lost to Northwestern, Indiana and Iowa in 2020. This year, Wisconsin lost a close game to Penn State, then was trucked by Michigan and Notre Dame.
But the Badgers shut out Illinois 24-0, survived Army 20-14 and last week whacked Purdue 30-13, a week after the Boilermakers stunned Iowa.
Meanwhile, Iowa rose to No. 2 in the nation after beating Penn State. But then came Purdue, and suddenly, the Hawkeyes look vulnerable.
And the oddsmakers have responded. Vegas has made Wisconsin a 3½-point favorite. But Iowa has been the better team this year. Let’s go with the Hawkeyes in the upset.
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Coach on the hot seat: Seth Littrell
Former OU fullback Seth Littrell was a rising star in the coaching ranks. He was offensive coordinator at Arizona, Indiana and North Carolina, and North Texas hired Littrell as head coach in 2016.
The Mean Green won nine games in both 2017 and 2018, and Littrell was mentioned prominently for bigger jobs.
But since then, North Texas is 9-20, including a 1-6 record this season.
Poor timing, with UNT headed to the American Conference and likely inclusion with Southern Methodist, 30 miles away down in Dallas. Forget the conference. Being in the same league with SMU is a big deal for North Texas.
Will Littrell be the coach who guides the Eagles into the American? He needs to start winning, starting with Saturday when North Texas plays at Rice.
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Ranking the non-Big 12 games
1. Michigan at Michigan State, 11 a.m., Fox: Underrated series. In the last 22 meetings, the series is tied 11-11. And it’s not like Michigan has been way down. The Wolverines have been ranked in the top 25 in 19 of those 22 games, Michigan State only 11 of those 22 games.
2. Penn State at Ohio State, 6:30 p.m., ABC: It’s not just Michigan that has trouble beating the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions have beaten Ohio State just once since 2011.
3. Georgia vs. Florida in Jacksonville 2:30 p.m., CBS: This breaks a streak of three straight Georgia-Florida games in which both teams were ranked in the top 10.
4. Southern Methodist at Houston, 6 p.m., ESPN2: Huge game for each team, and for Cincinnati, which plays now-unbeaten SMU on November 20 but isn’t scheduled to play Houston, which is 6-1 and has won six straight after a season-opening loss to Texas Tech.
5. Ole Miss at Auburn, 6 p.m., ESPN: Strange rivalry. Auburn is 32-6 against Mississippi since the Southeastern Conference integrated around 1970.
6. Fresno State at San Diego State, 9:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network: Massive game in the Mountain West. Unbeaten San Diego State can start making claims for a major bowl berth if it beats the likes of Fresno State, Nevada and Boise State.
7. UCLA at Utah, 9 p.m., ESPN: Bruins 33-24. Two teams that have taken turns appearing to be the class of the Pac-12 South. Which is best? The answer might be, neither.
8. Miami at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m., ACC Network: Win this game, and Pitt draws very close to securing the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division.
9. Iowa at Wisconsin, 11 a.m., ESPN: Hawkeyes 16-13. The Big Ten West seemed all Iowa’s after the Hawkeyes beat Penn State, but if Wisconsin wins this game, the Badgers are in the thick of the title chase.
10. North Carolina at Notre Dame, 6:30 p.m., NBC: The Fighting Irish’s 31-17 victory last year propelled Notre Dame into the College Football Playoff.
OSU football vs. Kansas: Can Collin Oliver and Cowboys' defense corral Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean?
The List: Interim coaches vs. OU & OSU
Texas Tech fired coach Matt Wells this week and named offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie interim coach. OU hosts Tech on Saturday, and OSU plays at Tech on November 20.
Here are the games since World War II in which the Sooners and Cowboys played against interim coaches:
2014: Kansas fired Charlie Weis four games into his third season and named Clint Bowen interim coach. OSU beat KU 27-20 on October 11 and OU beat KU 44-7 on November 22.
2012 season: OSU beat Purdue 58-14 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl; the Boilermakers named Patrick Higgins interim coach after firing Danny Hope.
2007 season: West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez resigned to take the Michigan job; the Mountaineers appointed Bill Stewart interim coach. WVU then beat OU 48-28 in the Fiesta Bowl, and the next day, the Mountaineers named Stewart the permanent head coach.
2006: OSU beat Alabama 34-31 in the Independence Bowl; Bama named Joe Kines interim coach after firing Mike Shula.
1986: OSU beat Iowa State 21-14 in the season finale for both teams; the Cyclones were playing their second game under interim coach Chuck Banker, after ISU fired Jim Criner amid an NCAA investigation.
1985: Kansas State coach Jim Dickey resigned under pressure after the Wildcats opened the season with losses to Wichita State and Northern Iowa. Assistant athletic director Lee Moon replaced Dickey; OU beat KSU 41-6 on October 5 and OSU beat KSU 35-3 on November 9.
More: What's ahead for Oklahoma State in pursuit of a Big 12 title game appearance?
Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine shine for Bengals
The Bengals led the Ravens 27-17 last Sunday and seemed to be in position to make quite the statement. Then Joe Mixon made the statement.
The former OU tailback dashed 21 yards for a touchdown, and Cincinnati had control of the game. About three game minutes later, Samaje Perine – Mixon's backfield mate with the Sooners and now again with the Bengals – pulled out a bullhorn and reinforced the message. Perine ripped off a 46-yard touchdown run, and Cincinnati put the capper on a 41-17 rout.
Mixon and Perine. Just like old times.
The Bengals are 5-2 and currently atop the American Football Conference. Cincinnati, beleaguered for so many seasons, is the story of the National Football League.
And Mixon and Perine are a reason why. Quarterback Joe Burrow is leading a transformative Bengal offense, and the Cincinnati running game is starting to show some life.
“When we get into the flow of a drive, we've got a lot of offense to pull from that we feel like can be dangerous and complementary in each phase there,” Bengal coach Zac Taylor told bengals.com. “It felt like we had more drives. We were getting that first first down. Sometimes that's our Achilles' heel. We know once we get that first first down of a drive, we tend to score on every drive. At least that's what it feels like.
“Our guys have such confidence in our ability to move the ball in a lot of different ways that it is fun to be able to call plays for that.”
Taylor, of course, has OU roots of his own. The son of former Sooner safety Sherwood Taylor was a quarterback at Norman High School, was the 2005 Big 12 offensive player of the year at Nebraska and now is an NFL coaching sensation.
Mixon and Perine both arrived at OU in 2014. Mixon was the more ballyhooed recruit but was suspended for his freshman season for slugging an OU coed during a Campus Corner altercation. Perine stepped into the Sooner backfield and became the star.
Perine is OU’s all-time leading rusher, with 4,122 yards. His season totals were 1,713; 1,349; and 1,060. Perine rushed for 49 touchdowns.
Mixon rushed for 2,027 yards as a Sooner, including 1,274 in 2016, when he surpassed Perine as the OU workhorse.
In their two seasons together, Mixon and Perine combined for 2,102 yards (2015) and 2,334 yards (2016).
As pros, Mixon has had far the better career. In 4½ seasons with the Bengals, Mixon has rushed for 3,898 yards and 24 touchdowns. He’s already sixth on the Bengals’ all-time rushing list. Mixon rushed for more than 1,000 yards in both 2018 and 2019 but was limited to six games a year ago, by injury.
Perine rushed for 603 yards as a Washington rookie in 2017 but played sparingly in 2018. The Bengals claimed him off waivers in 2019, but he played sparingly and was cut; he played one game for Miami to end the ‘19 season. But a year ago, Perine was back with the Bengals and got 63 carries for 301 yards as Mixon’s backup. This year, Perine has 139 yards on 31 carries as Mixon’s backup.
And the Bengals are riding high.
Let’s get to the predictions:
Packers at Cardinals: Green Bay 24-23. Great Thursday night showdown. This late in the year, it’s difficult to find a matchup with teams sporting a combined 13-1 record. How much will Green Bay miss star receiver Davante Adams?
Panthers at Falcons: Atlanta 24-21. Carolina probably has the better team, but Atlanta has the better quarterback, Matt Ryan over Sam Darnold. Which explains why the Panthers have sunk to last place in the NFC South.
Dolphins at Bills: Buffalo 33-13. Miami is such a mess, there’s talk the Dolphins might trade for defrocked Houston QB Deshaun Watson.
49ers at Bears: Chicago 19-17. Remember when we all said the NFC West was the best division in football? Change that to most top-heavy division in football. The Cardinals and Rams are a combined 13-1, but the 49ers and Seahawks are a combined 4-9.
Steelers at Browns: Cleveland 22-17. Yes, the Browns are missing some key cogs, including quarterback Baker Mayfield, but Cleveland, believe it or not, has a quality team.
Eagles at Lions: Philadelphia 23-20. The clock is ticking fast on Jalen Hurts. He’s 3-8 as the Eagle starting QB.
Titans at Colts: Tennessee 27-17. Indianapolis better win this one, else the Titans will have a three-game lead in the AFC South and the race will be over.
Bengals at Jetropolitans: Cincinnati 31-10. Bengals get a breather before a gauntlet that will determine their season – Browns, at Raiders, Steelers, Chargers.
Rams at Texans: Los Angeles 41-7. My hope is that I don’t have to watch a Houston game this year.
Patriots at Chargers: Los Angeles 28-16. New England is 3-4 and tied for ninth in the AFC. Could it be two straight years without a playoff appearance for Bill Belichick?
Jaguars at Seahawks: Seattle 22-13. Some are calling for the end of the Pete Carroll era in Seattle. Seems crazy to me.
Washingtons at Broncos: Washington 25-21. Man, Denver looked despondent in that Thursday night loss to Cleveland a week ago.
Buccaneers at Saints: Tampa Bay 30-21. Jameis Winston against his former team, the Bucs. Tampa Bay probably doesn’t even remember that Winston was its quarterback for five years.
Cowboys at Vikings: Dallas 32-21. Will Dak Prescott be cleared to play? If not, this is a Viking win.
Giants at Chiefs: Kansas City 35-16. This looked like a dud on the Monday Night Football schedule. Now it’s fascinating drama, as the Chiefs try to keep their heads above water.
Last week: 9-3. Season: 71-34.
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Mailbag: World Series Game 1
In a recent email exchange, I chatted baseball with a reader:
Tony: “You asked rhetorically if my grandsons' hero was Yadier Molina to check the real health of baseball. Nope! None play and none watch baseball, despite Grandpa's incredible love of the game. And last night is a classic example of why. World Series Game 1 -- games which we used to judge the cool teachers from the mean ones because the cool ones let us watch black and white TV during those afternoon games -- lasted four-plus hours. The first inning alone was 40 minutes long. My grands were all in bed long before it was over. If you think about it, that means it was after midnight for kids in the Eastern Time Zone! Eleven different pitchers and none threw more than 50 pitches. I love baseball. I love the Fall Classic. But it’s almost too painful for me to watch, let alone attract new fans. In an era where everything moves faster and faster, baseball is going the opposite direction. Kids’ attention spans grow increasingly shorter due to the bombardment of differing media. My wife is a high school teacher and she changes media every 10 minutes or so or she will lose most of her class. People can comment negatively all they want about that, but it's true, and in baseball's case, they need to recognize and do something about it. Pains me to see baseball killing baseball!”
Tramel: I don’t have much to add. Baseball will continue to do well financially, because live sports are the last bastion of television viewership. Corporate sponsorships will keep ticket sales humming to some degree. But building lifelong fans? Not happening. The long-term prognosis is not good.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.