Russell Westbrook's first season with the Lakers hasn't gone as well as he or anyone in L.A. had hoped, but on Friday he provided a bright spot against the Raptors.
With the Lakers down three in the closing seconds of their game in Toronto, Westbrook forced a turnover on rookie forward Scottie Barnes, dribbled it down to the other end and cashed a game-tying 3-pointer with just 0.4 seconds left on the clock.
Losers of three straight and eight of their last 10 games entering Friday, the Lakers secured a much-needed win after Westbrook sent the game into overtime. The former Wizard posted a triple-double as well with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
With the win, the Lakers strengthened their grip on the ninth seed in the West. Before Friday, Los Angeles only had a 1.5-game lead over New Orleans for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Westbrook and the Lakers won't have a ton of time to celebrate the win, however. They'll have to travel to Washington D.C. to face the Wizards on a back-to-back. The Wizards fell to the Lakers on their home floor thanks to a 50-point explosion by LeBron James.
NBA
Wizards vs. Lakers tips off on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Washington.