default-cbs-image

Russell Westbrook scored 22 points on 6-of-23 shooting in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, and while he might be known nationally as the triple-double machine, the only triple-double he was close to notching was with points (22), rebounds (11) and turnovers (9).

The Rockets kept him from taking over the game for the most part as a team with their suffocating defense, and in 26 minutes on the floor, defensive stalwart Patrick Beverley did his part in keeping the MVP candidate in check.

Even so, Russell Westbrook isn't giving the Rockets credit for their performance. Nor is he paying homage to Beverley for his defense -- or at least he's not willing to do it publicly.

"[Beverley] is a good defender for their team, but I don't worry about nobody, how they're defending. I can pretty much do what I want to do," Westbrook told ESPN.

Westbrook's been in the league since 2008, and this is certainly not his first time in the playoffs. He's only 28 years old, but he's been around the block enough to see just about everything defenses are going to throw at him. Still, though, the lack of disregard for Beverley's defense on him, which could be a concern for OKC's playoff hopes, is a bit surprising. Westbrook had just eight points on 3-for-9 shooting and two turnovers when Beverley was guarding.

"I never worry about what other guys are doing; it doesn't bother me. I've seen it all already," Westbrook said.

Westbrook's lackluster game, from a statistical standpoint, could be in part because of his time on the court, and in part because of Houston's defense. He played just 13 minutes in the second half because of the lopsided contest that fell in favor of the Rockets, after all.

As the series moves on, we'll learn more about whether or not Houston can keep the clamps on Westbrook, or if Game 1 was an anomaly for an otherwise MVP caliber series for the Thunder point guard. 

Game 2 of the series tips at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday night in Houston.