Russell Westbrook is ruthless.
During a game against Boston at TD Garden on Tuesday night, Celtics center Aron Baynes was on the ground, tying his shoe in the paint. Noticing an opportunity, Westbrook blew past defender Jayson Tatum and sprinted toward the basket.
At that point, Baynes abandoned his laces and scrambled to stand up and meet Westbrook at the rim.
Lucky for Baynes, he avoided getting turned into a poster and was able to contest Westbrook's shot as he lost control of the ball. Regardless, the moment was an illustration of Westbrook's ongoing determination to find any kind of advantage for the Thunder as playoffs approach. The Celtics end up wining the game 100-99.
The play also called to mind a story of Westbrook's obsession with tightly tied shoes while doing charity work with school children last year. A New York Times article published in early 2017 used the anectode to illustrate Westbrook's unique focus:
Take that as a lesson for today: Keep your shoes tied or you might trip—or get dunked on by an All-Star point guard.