Despite not having the services of Nikola Jokic on the second night of a back-to-back, with the reigning MVP missing time due to illness, the Denver Nuggets defended their home floor with conviction against the Los Angeles Clippers, dominating nearly the entire proceedings en route to a 126-103 victory. Russell Westbrook was once again at the heart of the Nuggets’ efforts, as he put up 19 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in his role as the commander of the team’s offense.
Westbrook’s contributions go beyond the stat-sheet columns he stuffs on a nightly basis whenever he gets heavy minutes. This was most apparent in the energy he brought for the Nuggets, most notably during the first quarter in which he warned former teammate Ivica Zubac that he better box out — only for Westbrook to prove his bragging ways right by inhaling an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and putting it back through the net for two points.
“I told him I was going to get the rebound. I told Zu that if he miss, I’m going to get this one and there’s nothing you can do about it. And he missed, and I got it, and there was nothing he could do about it,” Westbrook said before hilariously exiting his postgame presser, via DNVR Nuggets on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“I told Zu that if he miss, I’m going to get this one and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“And he missed, and I got it, and there was nothing he could do about it.”
Russell Westbrook on his offensive rebound and putback off the Clippers’ missed free-throw
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— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) January 9, 2025
If there’s anything Westbrook does on the hardwood, it’s play with a brand of confidence that never wavers, regardless of whether his team is ahead or facing a deficit. And the Nuggets have been feeding off his energy in a big way. This was ever apparent in the way they challenged the Boston Celtics despite missing Jokic, and in the way they gave the Clippers no chance to win the ballgame on Wednesday night.
The Nuggets are facilitating a bit of a Russell Westbrook renaissance
When the Nuggets signed Russell Westbrook this past offseason, there were plenty of doubts as to whether he’d be a positive contributor for the team. After all, Westbrook was coming off a bad playoff series for the Clippers where his deficiencies were exposed big-time by the Dallas Mavericks.
Westbrook, however, has been everything the Nuggets could have hoped for and more. He has bounced back from a rough start in the Mile High City, emerging as one of their most important players. Westbrook has built some very nice chemistry with Nikola Jokic, and his voice has been prominent in the locker room, helping establish an incredible sense of competitiveness within the team.
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