Houston Rockets owner Tilman J. Fertitta took to Instagram to make his case for guard Russell Westbrook in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
In a post on his account Saturday night, Fertitta congratulated Rockets guard James Harden on his starting spot and said he looks forward to the league’s coaches adding Westbrook to the team to join Harden. Fertitta concluded his post with the #DeservesIt hashtag, referring to Westbrook.
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The All-Star reserves, which are determined by votes from the league’s coaches, will be announced next Thursday, Jan.30.
For the 2019-20 season, Westbrook is in the NBA’s top 10 in scoring and assists at 25.8 points and 7.4 assists per game. He also averages 8.1 rebounds, which is among the league’s best at the guard position.
But Westbrook, a former MVP and eight-time All-Star, has improved his game even more as the season has progressed. Since Dec. 7, in his last 19 games, Westbrook is averaging 29.9 points per game on 49.6% shooting.
That per-game total over the last six weeks is No. 2 in the entire NBA, trailing only Harden. Moreover, Westbrook’s shooting percentage in accumulating those points is higher than anyone else in the top five.
After acquiring Westbrook last offseason, Fertitta made it clear that he was a big proponent of the trade bringing him to Houston.
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Westbrook, Harden, and the Rockets (28-16) return to basketball Sunday afternoon at Denver (31-14), though Harden is questionable to play with a bruised left thigh. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Central time.
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