He is one of the hardest effort players in the NBA, so it was good to see him bounce back after missing a layup that would have delivered the Denver Nuggets to a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Russell Westbrook may kick himself for a long time after the missed opportunity, but the 36-year-old possesses a short-term memory. He clapped back with a marquee performance on Wednesday versus San Antonio. Westbrook led the team in Nikola Jokic’s absence with 30 points and 11 rebounds. He turned in six assists and three steals with his double-double, but the Nuggets could not produce a win. San Antonio pulled out the 113-106 victory, dropping Denver behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the fourth seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs. Westbrook is averaging 13.4 points per game this season and turned in three outings with a double-double in points and assists in March. The nine-time All-Star, 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player, nine-time All-NBA team selection, and two-time NBA scoring champion can still pop huge numbers when it need it off the bench.
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Russell Westbrook in the loss to the Spurs
30 Points (0 in 4th)
11/25 Shooting
3/10 Threes
11 Rebounds
6 Assists
3 Steals
4 Turnoverspic.twitter.com/TmD7e4254z— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 3, 2025
Denver will need Westbrook to be at his best come playoff time on April 19.
Russell Westbrook clashes with Nuggets fan following Timberwolves defeat
He has experience in these moments, including a trip to the NBA Finals with Oklahoma City in the 2011-12 season.
Stephen M. Smith is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him him X via @CoachingMSmith.
