Lakers extol Russell Westbrook’s energy, impact off bench in loss

MINNEAPOLIS — Russell Westbrook came off the bench in a regular-season game for the first time since his rookie year in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and impressed his team by taking to the role.

“He was great,” said LeBron James, who said Westbrook’s energy “catapulted” L.A.’s overall effort. “He was great all game.”

Westbrook played 33 minutes, more than he had in any of the three games he started this season, and finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists. However, he shot 6-for-17 overall and 5-for-10 from the free throw line and was responsible for five of the Lakers’ 22 team turnovers.

While it wasn’t a perfect night by any means, it was an encouraging look at a fit that new coach Darvin Ham discussed with Westbrook several times over the summer before going to it in the second week of the season.

“From Day 1, I mentioned I’m the guy that’s willing to do whatever for the team,” Westbrook said. “I’ll sacrifice whatever it is that needs to be sacrificed — parts of my game that I’ve done for years to accommodate whatever it is that the coach needs me to do, and I’ll continue to do that.”

That sacrifice included being the primary defender on Minnesota’s 7-1 center Rudy Gobert in the closing lineup, with Ham electing to play small down the stretch with big men Anthony Davis (lower back tightness) and Thomas Bryant (thumb surgery) unavailable.

“Russ, my hat’s off to him once again,” Ham said. “Came off and showed the type of impact he can have in that reserve role and shoring up our bench — not just coming in and trying to maintain anything but coming in and taking it up a notch. So he was great in that role tonight. And I look forward to seeing him in it more once we start getting healthy bodies back.”

Westbrook said there were some adjustments he had to make to his routine to stay ready. He normally sprints from one side of the court to the other just before tipoff, for instance, to get his heart rate…