Suns' Kevin Durant, Chris Paul Defend Clippers' Russell Westbrook Against Criticism

Russell Westbrook has taken the brunt of criticism over the past few seasons of his career.

But if you ask players around the league, most of it has been unjust and unwarranted for the former league MVP.

Westbrook had his best game of the postseason Saturday in the Clippers' Game 4 loss against the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena. He finished with a game-high 37 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists on 17-of-29 shooting from the field.

His former teammate and Suns superstar Kevin Durant was quick to hop to his defense in his postgame media session.

"When he retire, people gonna really tell the truth about how they feel about his game," Durant said. "Right now, it's the fun thing to do is make a joke out of Russ. But, you know, the way he's been playing since he got with the Clippers showed everybody who he really is."

Westbrook, who won MVP in 2017, has faced mounting scrutiny ever since he left Oklahoma City, as he's struggled to find the same magic that he had over the first decade of his career. His previous stints with the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers have been nowhere near as successful.

He has found a better run of form with the Clippers, however, as some of the pressure has been alleviated thanks to the presence of superstars like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Saturday's performance was a reminder of the type of energy that Westbrook can bring and why coach Tyronn Lue has shown so much confidence in him since he signed with the team on Feb. 22.

As for Durant, he knows better than nearly everyone in the league how much of an impact Westbrook can have on a team. After all, they did spend eight seasons of their careers together with the Thunder.

Together, the duo brought the organization as close as it's ever been to an NBA title. They led Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals in 2012 before falling to the Miami Heat. They also made several appearances in the Western Conference Finals.

Durant ultimately went on to greener pastures as he joined the Golden State Warriors and won back-to-back championships and Finals MVPs, solidifying his status as one of the greatest players to ever lace them up.

Westbrook, meanwhile, has been ridiculed and criticized as he hasn't quite reached the same heights as he did during his MVP campaign in which he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists.

This series is the first time the two former teammates have faced off in the postseason, and it's almost come to an end.

Following Saturday's win, the Suns have a 3-1 series lead and will look to close it out on their home floor on Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET.