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Russell Westbrook has helped Clippers regain their mojo
Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook has helped Clippers regain their mojo

For a team that went 26-5 between Dec. 1 and Feb. 5, the Clippers looked like a hapless bunch just a month ago. Tyronn Lue referred to his team's identity as "soft" after it came out of the All-Star break a .500 ball club struggling to match up against good teams. 

A lot of Clippers' identity issues arose after Russell Westbrook suffered a fractured hand on March 2. During his absence, Los Angeles went 6-6 and lost several games to sub .500 teams. Since his return on March 25, the Clippers have gone 6-2, beating winning teams such as the Sixers, Magic, Kings and Nuggets. Sunday's win over the Cavs was probably the most redeeming of all.

Los Angeles overcame a 26-point deficit to stun Cleveland, a win so impressive that it got Lue smiling ear to ear about his team's chemistry. Westbrook, a plus-18 in his 25 minutes, played a critical role in the Clippers completing the third-largest comeback in franchise history.

However, Westbrook showed his true worth to the team after the game ended. As seen below, Westbrook walked over to the Cavaliers bench and taunted them for celebrating too much when they were up by 26. Westbrook's display of arrogance seemingly gave his teammates a jolt of confidence. 

Those players suddenly realized they had Westbrook in their foxhole.
It's that competitive edge the Clippers desperately needed, and with the playoffs just a few weeks away, Westbrook's return could prove to be a timely godsend.

The victory on Sunday also reinforced Westbrook's importance to a team without any vocal leaders — Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden are said to be the quiet types. One wonders if a Westbrook-less team would have folded when the opponent was up 26. 

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