Westbrook sits vs. Trail Blazers due to back tightness

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook sat out Wednesday's 107-105 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers with lower back tightness, the team announced.

It was Westbrook's first missed game of the season.

The 33-year-old played through the same back pain against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Westbrook has averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game in his first season in purple and gold. However, the former league MVP is currently posting a 46.7% effective field-goal rate in 2021-22, which would be the fifth-worst scoring efficiency of his storied career.

The slippage of the floor general's play - and the outflow of depth used to acquire him from the Washington Wizards last offseason - have contributed to the Lakers' disappointing 26-29 record. There is a sense of urgency around the team to make roster changes ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, sources told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.