Alternative angle proves Zaza Pachulia's fall on Russell Westbrook was accidental

GiveMeSport

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By Conor Porter

Published Feb 25, 2018

Pachulia has been accused of deliberately falling on Westbrook during Warriors win over the Thunder

A Western Conference showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday and it won't be surprising for many NBA fans that the game many moments for fans to talk about.

One of those moments was when Warriors' Zaza Pachulia fell on top of Thunder's Russell Westbrook in the third quarter, causing the 2017 MVP some discomfort as he lied on the hardwood inside the Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Many have accused Pachulia of deliberately falling on Westbrook in the moment. However, an alternative angle on the incident proves that the center may have accidentally fallen on the Thunder star instead.

The alternative angle shows what we know from previous angles about the incident. Westbrook went up for a ball with Nick Young near the rim of the basket, with Pachulia standing behind them. Westbrook and Young clashed in the air and fell to the hardwood.

Pachulia then fell on top of the Thunder star, trapping his leg in an uncomfortable position. Westbrook quickly grabbed his knee and began shaking his head in disbelief over what the Warriors player just did, as there appeared to be no reason for him to fall down.

However, the alternative angle of the incident shows that Young caught his trailing leg as he was falling on the back of Pachulia's knee, which may have caused him to fall on top of Westbrook accidentally.

Pachulia claimed his innocence in the incident after the game when reporters asked if he had deliberately fallen on top of the Thunder star, as he said: "No comment. That's childish. Come on. I'm not responding to that."

Westbrook didn't have a great night, as the Thunder lost 112-80 to the Warriors and he only managed 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and he was only 4-of-15 from the field. As expected, he wasn't very happy with the Warriors star after the game either, calling him a dirty player.

However, this alternative angle on the incident might prove Pachulia's innocence in this case, and that it was just an unfortunate moment for him to fall on top of the Thunder star.