Zach Collins spoke about the incident involving him and Russell Westbrook which led to him getting elbowed in the face.
The NBA doesn't have too many altercations, a lot of the physicality has been stamped out of the game. However, there are still moments when tempers flare after a hard foul, and that happened during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. Russell Westbrook went up to make a layup and was met by Zach Collins, only to try and fight Collins after the shot drew blood from his head.
The players were separated, and Russell Westbrook had the fans on his side. Westbrook is never one to get too involved in scuffles without good reason, but his injury warranted a reaction, even LeBron was mad. The game ended up going in favor of the Lakers too, making it quite a poor day for Collins at the office. And while Russ had made his feelings clear on the matter, now Zach has also given his side.
Zach Collins Spoke About His Hard Foul On Russell Westbrook, Explained His Side Of The Story
There are very few dirty players in the NBA, and they have earned those reputations thanks to multiple instances. However, there is a difference between making a hard foul inadvertently and wanting to hurt someone. Collins insisted that he had no intention of hitting Westbrook during the play, speaking about it after the game.
Collins said he didn't intend to hit Westbrook in the head. "I shouldn't have jumped on the pump fake, but I did. And then the worst thing you can do is give up an and-1 in that situation, so I was just trying to come down and hit his arm so the ball wouldn’t get up to the rim."
"Unfortunately, my elbow just caught his head and he started bleeding and it looked terrible, but I honestly wasn’t trying to do anything. I just didn’t want him to get a shot off."
Westbrook wasn't able to contribute too much to the game by his usual standards but the situation certainly had the Lakers all fired up. They cruised to a victory, one they needed as they continue to try and pull themselves back to a winning record. The Lakers seem to be figuring things out at the moment, and if they can build on the momentum they have now, all the early ridicule might have been directed at them too soon.
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