Rockets PG Russell Westbrook Says 'We're the Only Team That's in Our Way'

Fresh off a third straight win and playing some of the best basketball of his career, Russell Westbrook thinks there's no ceiling to the Houston Rockets' success.

"We know that we're the only team that's in our way, and every night we've got to take the challenge of being the best team in the league," Westbrook said after Houston's 120-110 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Westbrook had 34 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead the Rockets. He took advantage of the Jazz defending him with Rudy Gobert by knocking down a series of open mid-range jumpers.

"I get what I want, get whatever I want. Get to the basket and shoot, drive and kick, pace and speed," Westbrook said. "It's something you can't scout for. You can scout moves, you can scout for all that, but speed you can't scout for. And that's what I've got to my advantage."

The Jazz used Gobert on Westbrook as an adjustment to Houston's odd, small-ball lineup. Westbrook is by far the worst three-point shooter in Houston's starting lineup, so Utah tried to keep Gobert on the floor by having him play off Westbrook and give him space to shoot. The strategy didn't work, with Westbrook feasting off mid-range jumpers, but it's something teams will likely imitate at times.

After struggling for most of his first two months in Houston, Westbrook has thrived recently by essentially eliminating the three ball. He's taken more than five threes just once in the months of January and February and attempted zero or one six times.

Trading off those threes for attacks at the rim, Westbrook is shooting over 52 percent from the floor and has 13 30-point games during this stretch.

The Rockets' real test of this experiment won't take place until the postseason, when teams will have several cracks at solving their small-ball riddle. For now, though, Houston looks like a legitimate contender for the first time all season.