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P.J. Washington and Russell Westbrook had a mid-game scuffle which led to both being ejected in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series between the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks.
After the game, where the Mavericks won 101-90, Washington took to Instagram to continue the scuffle shenanigans off the court. The Mavericks forward shared a photo taken during the scuffle which highlighted his composure throughout.
"Im Mr ain’t goin," Washington captioned the post.
With just under seven minutes left in the final quarter of the game and the Clippers trailing by 16 points, Luka Doncic dribbled past Russell Westbrook. Westbrook grabbed the Mavericks star's arm to knock him off balance. Doncic immediately took exception, to which Westbrook responded with a shove.
P.J. Washington came to his teammate's defense and Westbrook then took a jab at him. Washington seemed unbothered by the altercation and stood smiling at Westbrook, later turning to the Clippers' bench to strike the pose which he later posted on Instagram.
On review of the incident, Westbrook was assessed with two technicals, first for his foul on Doncic and second for the swing at Washington. On the other hand, P.J. Washington was handed one technical and was ejected for his role in escalating the scuffle.
Washington concluded the game with 10 points, five rebounds, one assist, three steals, and one block as the Dallas Mavericks went 2-1 in the series. After the game, Washington spoke about his stare-down pose directed at the Clippers bench.
"Terance Mann was mad that I was looking at their bench, so I decided to look at it again," Washington said, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "I wanted to get my flicks right for after the game."
Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook registered just one point and 0-for-7 from the field. The former NBA MVP also recorded three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and three blocks.
"Not afraid of anything": Mavericks head coach commends P.J. Washington
During the post-game interview, Mavericks' head coach Jason Kidd praised P.J. Washington's presence on the team and also commented on his energy during the altercation.
"PJ has been great, he's not afraid of anything, he competes at a high level, he's been a big part of this team since he's been here and you can see that he's comfortable," Kidd said.
"He's competing, we're all competing for each inch to find a way to win. The series is going to be more mental as it goes on, just cause of the physicality, the play is very physical but the mental aspect of this series, we have to be sharp and we have to understand what's taking place.
"I thought the guys did a great job of protecting one another."
P.J. Washington was acquired by the Mavericks from the Charlotte Hornets during the trade deadline during the season's halfway point. He has been integral to the team's turnaround to become a serious contender for this year's NBA title.
