"I already knew I was playing s**tty, so I knew I had to step it up anyway" - Russell Westbrook on what inspired him to step up in the LA Lakers' comeback win against Sacramento Kings

Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers were looking to avenge the stinging three-overtime loss they suffered at the hands of the Sacramento Kings a few days back.

Without LeBron James, who entered the league’s health and safety protocols before Tuesday's matchup, the Lakers were lifeless early in the game. They gave up 59 points to the Kings and looked like they were headed for another humiliating loss.

However, the LA Lakers, behind Russell Westbrook’s aggressive play, smashed the Sacramento Kings with a third-quarter explosion.

When asked in a post-game presser what happened during halftime that caused a sudden change in their performance, Westbrook had this to say (via Kyle Goon):

"I already knew I was playing s**tty, so I knew I had to step it up anyway."

Russell Westbrook did step up in a big way. The LA Lakers outscored the Sacramento Kings 37-15, with the former MVP leading the way. The 33-year-old finished with 10 points and 3 assists in that crucial quarter. More than his numbers, his repeated attacks at the rim opened up the game for his teammates.

Anthony Davis, who struggled badly in the first half, was one of the beneficiaries of Russell Westbrook’s interior crusade. AD added 10 points of his own. Together, the duo helped change the entire complex of the match and broke the game wide open. The LA Lakers went ballistic with a 65-26 run after finding themselves in a 14-point deficit in the third quarter.

This season, the third quarter has been the LA Lakers’ kryptonite. They have given up huge leads or completely lost games behind their atrocious third-quarter performance. The win against the Sacramento Kings was a welcome change. Although it did come against a team that is porous on defense, it was still a display worth noting since they were outscored in the same quarter in their last matchup.

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How can Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers build off of this win?

The LA Lakers have to take care of the ball better to string together wins [Photo: MARCA]

The LA Lakers will rely heavily on Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, with LeBron James sidelined due to a positive virus test. One of the most important things that they can do is to limit their turnovers. Their spacing and chemistry issues are just highlighted by the way they are coughing up the ball.

Frank Vogel’s team is one of the NBA’s leaders in turnover per contest. The LA Lakers are averaging 16 a game, which is in the bottom five of the league. It is a concerning issue since they are a veteran team that is already playing a month into the season. There have been so many times when they have lost momentum or couldn’t simply get going because of their unforced miscues.

Russell Westbrook will have to step up when it comes to taking care of the ball. He is notoriously famous for his turnovers, and it has greatly affected the LA Lakers’ ability to win games this season. His 4.7 TOs a game are second only to James Harden this campaign.