John Wall and Russell Westbrook faced off once again, following the trade that sent Wall to Houston and Westbrook to Washington.
Wall had long been part of the Washington Wizards’ franchise before being traded to the Houston Rockets. Westbrook was a big part of the Rockets last year but was traded to Washington for Wall before the 2020 season started. The trade was a result of both point guards requesting a trade from their respective teams.
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Tuesday night was the first matchup between the two point guards since the trade. Wall was pumped up and ready to beat his former team and Westbrook. The 30-year-old finished the game with 24 points and led Houston to victory. On the other side of the ball, Westbrook has a solid outing of his own, but his 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists were not enough.
A notable moment between the two stars occurred on a play where Wall stumbled on a Westbrook drive that resulted in a foul. The two guards exchanged words with one another before officials intervened and issued a double technical foul.
The Rockets’ point guard described the altercation as “just basic basketball trash talk.” Wall noted that this was one of the rare times he’s beaten his Washington counterpart, “This is only my third win against Russ, I think since I’ve been in the league, so that means that he’s a hell of a talent.”
Meanwhile, Westbrook had different opinions on the matter. The Wizards’ star said, “Now listen, I don’t start talking s—t… I defend myself because I don’t just allow people to say just anything, especially when I know the facts as it pertains to anybody on the court playing against me.” The All-Star went on to claim that the trash talk started because Wall was winning. “So, I think [Wall] just started talking s–t because they just started to win, started winning at that time,” Westbrook said.
The Wizards’ star finished off his remarks by reminding everyone that the two will face off one more time this season. “So, you know, it’s cool, though, we play them again,” he said.
