In the end, it got as high as 24-4 run, and that's the thing about Game 7s. When things go bad, they can go real bad real quick, things just snowball in a way where there's nothing you can do. What was different this time around in the Nuggets Game 7 performance was the fact that in 2025, they got production from every player that touched the floor. So much is rightfully made about the talent that surrounds Jokic and how bad it is, but Saturday night, it's the reason their season continues on. Russell Westbrook especially made his presence felt, and in a win or go home situation, I imagine it has to be terrifying to have Westbrook on your team. He's so confident that his I don't give a fuck attitude can either help you or bury you. For the Nuggets, it did nothing but help. Russ was great For example, Kawhi Leonard's -33 was his worst +/- ever. In any game he's played in. The Clippers also had to rely on Big Game James Harden, and how do we think that went? Just 7 points on 2-8 shooting and a -29.  As good as they were in Game 6, they were that bad with their season once again on the line in Game 7. The offense was stalled and everyone just stood around and watched James Harden and Kawhi dribble. Getting into their sets with only 11-12 seconds on the shot clock made things harder, and once you start missing in Game 7 and the nerves set in, good luck. Enjoy the offseason, see ya in the Fall for training camp. Once the Nuggets blew the game open in the 3rd quarter, the rest of the game turned to autopilot. Good for them for finding a way to do it with a collective effort and take care of business on their own floor. I'm sure there are fans who wished this was possible last year, but I say focus on the now. While on some level it was a bit of a bummer that we didn't have a close Game 7 that came down to the wire, I sure as shit know Nuggets fans prefer this outcome. That's a level of stress that changes you forever if things don't go your way. As someone who has experienced both ends of the spectrum, I can confirm winning Game 7 by blowout rules. Congrats to Nuggets fans, and good luck against OKC! the Denver Nuggets are playing the LA Clippers (at home) for Game 7 of their first-round playoff series three assists and two steals while shooting 3/5 from the field in his first 15 mintues of playing time He also made NBA history by moving ahead of Kevin Johnson (935) for 20th on the all-time playoff assists list the next player for Westbrook to pass will be Hall of Famer Bob Cousy (937) Via The NBA: "Congrats to @russwest44 of the @nuggets for moving into 19th on the all-time playoff ASSISTS list!" Congrats to @russwest44 of the @nuggets for moving into 19th on the all-time playoff ASSISTS list!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/bCoLi1Rjpm The Nuggets are coming off a 111-105 loss in Game 6 (on the road) ten rebounds and six assists while shooting 5/10 from the field and 2/4 from the three-point range in 35 minutes of playing time The winner of Saturday's game will face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs Via @Beastbr00k0: "Russell Westbrook in the 1st half of game 7 against the Clippers:10 points3/5 FG (60%)2/3 3PT (67%) 2 rebounds3 assists2 steals+/- +1074 TS%Russ might be the key piece for this Nuggets team to win a championship Playoff Riser." Russell Westbrook in the 1st half of game 7 against the Clippers:10 points3/5 FG (60%)2/3 3PT (67%) 2 rebounds3 assists2 steals+/- +1074 TS%Russ might be the key piece for this Nuggets team to win a championship 👀Playoff Riser.🔥 pic.twitter.com/60xTgYjgKR The 2017 MVP has also played for the Los Angeles Lakers Russell Westbrook now has the most offensive rebounds by a guard in Game 7s in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/KvFdddIiv7 The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in convincing fashion to win Game 7 The Nuggets now advance to the second round of the playoffs James Harden put on one of the worst playoff performances of his career, scoring just seven points. On the other end, his former OKC teammate Russell Westbrook was absolutely sensational Westbrook spoke after the game about how he felt disrespected by the Clippers during the series And he used that disrespect as fuel to punish them Well, he didn’t just hurt the Clippers with his play. In fact, one Nuggets star explained how Russ helped him understand how to guard James Harden Read More: Kawhi Leonard gives honest opinion on Gregg Popovich’s retirement from coaching the Spurs, ‘pretty much, he couldn’t…’ who played elite defense on James Harden to hold him to seven points helped him understand James Harden’s movements and tendencies so he can guard him better “I learned that over the course of the series Braun says Russ gave him tips on how to guard Harden: pic.twitter.com/9ukA3aXxYZ Read More: Bill Simmons says what LA Clippers did to Russell Westbrook he has never seen in NBA Playoff game before ever David Adelman revealed the Nuggets will be flying to Oklahoma City tomorrow to prepare for their second-round series The Nuggets come in at a distinct disadvantage in this series. While the Nuggets played seven grueling games in the first round, the Thunder are well-rested, having swept the Grizzlies and earned a break Despite this, Shaquille O’Neal is backing the Denver Nuggets to win this series if not better role to help the Nuggets upset his former team in the second round “I think the owner … wanted to change something “He got the result he was looking for.” Malone and Booth had a contentious relationship for years and were locked in an ongoing battle of basketball philosophies Malone preferred to rely on experienced players who had earned his trust while Booth wanted him to give more minutes to the young talent he drafted and signed Numerous reports stated that their bickering brought a negative energy to the organization and they were both likely to be let go after the season ended there’s no way we’re even in a Game 7,” one Nuggets executive told Shelburne Was anybody really shocked Harden didn’t show up in game 7 for clippers Put money on nuggets last night===easy money he got 13 ast even with the rest of the team missing shot after shot Nuggets at home barely favored against a Clippers team that hasn’t won a playoff series in years Now they’re in a road series against the best team in the league that finished 18 games ahead of them Their only chance it to steal game 1 against a well rested but possibly rusty OKC team that hasn’t played since April 26th they needed someone to takeover the game and score I really wanted to believe it was just bad luck or injuries but at this point I can’t deny it anymore Anyone that knows basketball is surprised at Westbrooks 41.9% from three in this series – his previous best in a long career was 41.7% in his 2nd season in 2010 and he’s been as low as 13.6% (in the 2012 Finals) At least the dumb “Jokic’s Nuggets never beat a 50 win team in the playoffs” narrative is now history I’d be more surprised if he could shoot it that “well” in another series Denver is playing well – looking forward to the next round I would love to see Russ win a ring…but I am an OKC fan first so I want them to win of course The series is every other day so OKC with rest and youth should be able to run Nuggets tired Now if Nuggets were to win I would like them to face Rockets since Russ Revenge Tour would continue The Nuggets will have to do more than barely get out of the first round to justify firing a coach that won a championship 2 years ago So a healthy Nuggets team is a real threat Log in Register Register Maine (WGME) -- The Autism Society of Maine hosted its largest fundraising event of the year aimed to support and celebrate individuals with autism while raising funds to provide resources for them and their families a member of the board of directors for the Autism Society of Maine expressed the event's community spirit "It's just a really nice day just to come out and to be with people of the same community," he said had the honor of cutting the ribbon to start the walk "I don’t like to look at it as a disability I look at it as an ability," Halvorsen said "My favorite part of the event is just going to the vendors including a face painting booth and organizations connecting families with local services This year's theme was "Star Wars," encouraging guests to wear their favorite costumes emphasized the importance of the funds raised "It comes at a time where raising that money is more important than ever We really want to show people that people with disabilities and neurological differences are whole people and you're welcome in our community and also embraced," he said Organizers reported raising over $50,000 from the event and many participants expressed excitement about continuing the tradition next year It was great to support the Autism Society of Maine." For more information, visit asmonline.org and our staff of basketball betting experts is focused on key players who could be in line for noteworthy performances in tonight's Game 7 between the Clippers and Nuggets tonight Continue below for my NBA player props for Saturday The Nuggets are continuing the trend of almost solely relying on their starters, even in the postseason. Denver's bench averaged the third-fewest minutes (14.7) during the regular season, and that number is down to 9.7, the second-lowest in the playoffs. Those numbers are particularly appealing when it comes to assessing Nuggets player props. For example, Denver's Aaron Gordon has a points + rebounds prop of 19.5, available at FanDuel. It's worth noting that Gordon has covered this line in nine straight games dating back to Apr. 9th. What's particularly interesting is that Gordon is seeing a significant bump in playing time during this first-round series, averaging 39.5 minutes, up from 28.4 in the regular season. He crossed the 40-minute mark in three of the six games, and with a pivotal Game 7 on the horizon, we should anticipate another heavy workload. Pick: Aaron Gordon Over 19.5 Points + Rebounds (-128 at FanDuel) Russell Westbrook Over 15.5 Points + ReboundsClippers vs Nuggets, 7:30 p.m. ET Russell Westbrook is one of the few Nuggets players interim head coach David Adelman continues to call on. In the playoffs, Westbrook has averaged 25.2 minutes, which is only slightly lower than the 27.9 he averaged in the regular season. Bench players tend to perform better at home with the crowd behind them, and Westbrook's home-away splits would certainly support that assertion. The veteran point guard averaged 14.8 points at Ball Arena compared to 11.8 on the road. Westbrook's points + rebounds prop at FanDuel is 15.5, which he has cleared in eight straight games at home. During that span, he averaged 22.4 points + rebounds while registering a median of 20. If we look at his regular-season numbers at home, he's been exceptional, covering this line in 28 of 39 games (72%). The odds on this prop are only slightly juiced at -114, making it significantly undervalued at the current price. Pick: Russell Westbrook Over 15.5 Points + Rebounds (-114 at FanDuel) Kawhi Leonard Over 7.5 ReboundsClippers vs Nuggets the Nuggets have done a decent job limiting Kawhi Leonard to an average of 23 points over the next four games Given the emergence of Ivica Zubac at the center position, the Clippers have a much more balanced team this time around. Zubac averaged a career-best 16.8 points during the regular season and has been even better in the playoffs, averaging 18.7 points per game. Therefore, those standout performances from Leonard might be a bit more sporadic than commonplace. However, Leonard can still find other ways to get involved, and I've been particularly pleased with his industry on the boards. The Clippers forward has a rebounding prop of 7.5 —a number he has cleared in four straight games, averaging 9.8 rebounds. While I'm aware that Leonard only averaged 5.9 rebounds during the regular season, he has a history of picking things up in the playoffs, given his career average 7.8 per game. Thus, in a must-win game, I'd expect Leonard to leave everything out on the court and put in a comprehensive performance that includes a considerable effort on the glass. Pick: Kawhi Leonard Over 7.5 Rebounds (-113 at FanDuel) This site .css-115lfch{color:var(--tan-text-link);}contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. Copyright 2025 © Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting This site contains commercial content. Disclosure Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler The iconic Russell Westbrook simply cannot play basketball at a speed less than 100 miles per hour you're left scratching your head at his decision-making because he just never It's what has arguably made the future Hall of Famer such a meme among NBA fans in recent years Westbrook talked about his well-known propensity for chaos he's not going to change who he is because being a "force of nature" is his greatest source of pride because that's the only way he knows how to play everyone is better off accepting that reality: After watching how Westbrook flew around and slowly demoralized the Clippers with his playmaking on both ends of the court it's hard to disagree with his assessment of his chaotic style of play You really do just have to accept the occasional bad he brings because the greatness he's capable of can be that impactful Nikola Jokic got plenty of help from his teammates and Denver's scoring surge held up in a 120-101 blowout of the shell-shocked LA Clippers in a Game 7 laugher on Saturday night and while the franchise's biggest blowout in a win-or-go-home scenario won't make up for last year when Denver blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead over Minnesota at home in Game 7 of their Round 2 series it certainly exorcised some of those demons "It feels good," interim Nuggets coach David Adelman said "but I also know we're flying to OKC tomorrow." The No. 4 seed Nuggets advanced to take on the No. 1-seeded and well-rested Oklahoma City Thunder who swept Memphis in the first round and have had a week off heading into the second-round series that begins Monday night When Adelman reminded a friend recently that the reward for surviving this gritty series with the Clippers was a date with the team that went an NBA-best 68-14 his buddy retorted that what actually awaited the winner was a 72-14 team The Nuggets and Thunder split their season series 2-2 and if Denver can reproduce its effort from Saturday night Denver is the first team in Game 7 history to have at least six players score 15 points "In playoffs we know that everybody needs to step up And everybody who plays needs to contribute something," Jokic said Braun also played terrific defense on James Harden who was held to 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting "Everybody behind me allowed me to guard him But I think maybe the biggest part was Russ," Braun said credit goes to those guys and the coaches." Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 22 points, and Ivica Zubac had his quietest game of the series with 10 points. "I don't think this team was 30 points better than us," Leonard said. "We saw that throughout the first six games of this series, but you've got to give them credit. They came out, ran hard in transition, got easy points and they made shots." Hanging over the Nuggets all season, one that included the firings of their head coach and their general manager, was their Game 7 fiasco in Round 2 last year just when it looked like they were primed to defend the franchise's first NBA championship. And after frittering away a 22-point fourth-quarter advantage in Game 4 of this series -- only to be saved by the first buzzer-beating dunk in NBA playoff history, courtesy of Gordon -- the Nuggets and the Ball Arena crowd only grew more energized instead of anxious as the lead kept growing and the Clippers kept missing. The Nuggets outscored LA 72-40 over the second and third quarters and blew this one open with a 17-0 run in the third quarter after Leonard started the second half with a 3-pointer to cut the Clippers' deficit to 58-50. "The rebounding and defense was amazing," Jokic said. "We had a lot of opportunities to run and a lot of guys stepped up and a lot of guys made baskets." After picking up his third, fourth and fifth fouls over a 48-second span late in the third, Jokic went to the bench. The Nuggets began celebrating early in the fourth quarter when Westbrook willingly took a technical for swinging on the rim after a steal and breakaway dunk put Denver up 107-76. "Man, closeout games are very difficult in this league, and being a part of Game 7s is difficult," Westbrook said. "But I do think my job for this team is to bring my energy, bring my competitive spirit, nature -- whatever that may be. And I think I told y'all this after Game 1 -- excuse my language for my kids at home -- but to go in and f--- s--- up. That's what I did." Courtesy of team owner Steve Ballmer, more than 100 Clippers fans were flown to Denver and assembled behind one of the baskets to provide extra noise. They were rowdy when the Clippers took a 26-21 lead after one quarter but were as bewildered as the Los Angeles bench as the Nuggets ran away with it. The Associated Press contributed to this story. the Denver Nuggets point guard has added a far less predictable title to his resume: WNBA Draft stylist Westbrook collaborated with projected first-round pick Georgia Amoore on a custom look for the 2025 WNBA Draft “This has never happened before—no athlete has ever dressed another athlete for a draft let alone an NBA player designing for a WNBA Draft,” Westbrook tells Vogue breaking down those barriers between men’s and women’s sports.” “I was freaking out before the Zoom even happened,” says Amoore who connected with Westbrook and the Honor the Gift team late last year Sitting there and having him in front of me this is actually unreal right now.” The Ballarat native—who played at Virginia Tech before transferring to the University of Kentucky for her final year of eligibility—grew up admiring Westbrook’s game from afar when he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder “In Australia I didn’t really have too many ESPNs they were the marquee games and he was the marquee player,” she says “Feeling so far away and now having the chance to work with him is unbelievable.” When it came to dreaming up her draft look Amoore left most of the design process up to Westbrook “I pretty much said I wanted a cropped blazer and a skirt Westbrook and Honor the Gift landed on a black leather blazer with white-stich floral embroidery—cropped to Amoore’s liking—paired with a matching mini skirt but also wanted to give her a little bit of swagger for one of the biggest moments and nights of her life,” Westbrook says Amoore will wear the skirt suit with a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “Honor Women,” a piece available to shop from the LA-based brand “While Georgia’s draft outfit is this aspirational the T-shirts are the attainable element of our collaboration,” Westbrook explains “They’re how fans can connect with this moment and carry this message forward.” And what is that message “It’s a statement about how I was raised and how I live my life,” Westbrook says “My mom taught me about strength and sacrifice My wife shows me what true partnership looks like I’m even more committed to creating a world that honors and respects women.” Photo: Courtesy of Honor the GiftThough Amoore’s everyday style is decidedly casual—“I’m definitely a simple girl,” she says—for draft night “We started piling on the bracelets [and] the more you put on the necklace and the rings and the bracelets really tied it together.” Reflecting on the collaboration with Westbrook it’s not lost on Amoore what a singular experience it’s been it’s probably going to be one of the coolest things ever a behind-the-scenes look at how Russell Westbrook styled Georgia Amoore for the WNBA Draft Photo: Courtesy of Honor the Gift1/13“The design process was all about balance—finding that perfect mix between sophisticated and bold We used some premium fabrics with different textures to create dimension and added a few custom details that make it uniquely Honor The Gift but also uniquely Georgia.” —Russell Westbrook Westbrook has matched up against the Thunder in the playoffs before. After departing from the franchise, the energetic star was a member of the Houston Rockets team that took down Oklahoma City in the 2020 bubble would be the lack of Thunder fans in the crowd.  This will be Westbrook's first playoff series against his first NBA team with the old fandom around to see it Mark Daigneault offered his candid thoughts on the franchise legend in the lead-up Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) reacts during a game Daigneault gets honest about WestbrookClemente Almanza asked Daigneault about Westbrook in a media scrum ahead of the second-round matchup "He always brings great energy and competitiveness to the game you have to account for the fact that he's gonna come in the game ready to rock The pace of the game is gonna go up and he's gonna be trying to make something happen right off the bat. You can't be caught flat-footed in that way ...He's come back many times over the years so we've played against him a lot. We've played against him for five seasons so that's nothing new.But we understand the relationship he has to the organization and the relationship that they have with him. He's an unbelievable philanthropist in the community This is a place that I think he really resonates with and a place that resonates with him That's always been the case when he's here We'll be ready to compete for Oklahoma City."-Mark Daigneault it should not be a surprise to hear the Oklahoma City crowd give Westbrook his flowers and Oklahoma City Thunder. His love for basketball is only rivaled by his love of Funko Pops Though one answer seems likeliest, it's not fully clear to whom he is referring. The obvious answer is James Harden with whom Westbrook played on three separate teams and he supplanted Westbrook as the team's starting point guard Westbrook also could have been referring to Kris Dunn whom the Clippers traded Westbrook for last summer The Nuggets frequently played help defense off of Dunn because they didn't fear his 3-point shooting as the Clippers frequently picked Westbrook as the Nugget they wouldn't guard from deep Westbrook punished them by shooting 42% from 3-point range in the series because the truth of the last several years is that Westbrook would have understandable gripes with far more than three people The second half of his Hall of Fame career has been the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double that's all he would have been remembered for But legacies for non-champions tend be cruel will surely be reminded of that in the wake of his awful Game 7 Westbrook's struggles to adapt to a new team have defined his entire post-Thunder career seemed destined to taint an otherwise historic legacy If Harden's career could be distilled so cruelly into a handful of horrible elimination games what hope did Westbrook have of escaping the very ugly especially since he held his fair share of blame for it He spent years pushing back against necessary changes to his game He could always summon great defense for big plays or in the right matchups but his effort on a possession-by-possession basis left something to be desired He's always turned the ball over too much and taken too many mid-range jumpers He didn't embrace the corner 3 until he became a Clipper and he didn't start making it consistently until this season and that goes a long way towards describing his failure with those other teams He never got comfortable with that as a shooter or as basically anything else Whether the adjustments he made were due to the brilliance of Nikola Jokić pressure accumulated from years of disappointment elsewhere Westbrook made the subtle tweaks needed to thrive as a role player He scored 126 points as a cutter this season the first time he'd crossed triple-digits since 2012 despite playing the second-fewest minutes of his career in a non-injury He posted the second-highest offensive rebounding rate of his post-Thunder career he started to become the off-ball player his teams needed him to be But the Nuggets badly needed an injection of chaos Their bench has been a mess throughout the Jokić era in part because no backup can replicate his unique playing style but he sidesteps the need to by bringing his own identity to the floor that often means turnovers and sloppy offense but the Nuggets deftly realized that they were losing games on the bench anyway but the high-variance way in which he plays would win them just as many He even acknowledged that himself after Game 7 "I think it's my ability to be a force of nature on the floor even if it could take the Nuggets down bad paths as easily as it could good ones but Denver finally found the right balance between the player Westbrook had always been and the one everyone wanted him to become Westbrook had his share of shaky moments throughout the series The Nuggets would not have beaten the Clippers without him If you need proof of that, look no further than another one of his ex-teams, the Lakers, who just lost a playoff series in which JJ Redick used the same five-man lineup for the entire second half of one game Denver has spent the past several years coming close to doing the same You can't win in the postseason with five players Westbrook's foibles were untenable on a max contract The rewards outweigh the risks for a minimum and he's probably never making more than that again He's at a different stage of his career now He's seen how badly things can go on the the wrong team Westbrook's series and season with the Nuggets should round out the story of this portion of his career He'll never quite untangle the bad moments from the good ones there just hadn't been nearly enough good ones to preserve his post-prime reputation the enduring memory of an all-time great would have been how sadly it all ended He certainly knows what the Clippers thought of him because he said as much after the game their feelings matched the greater consensus This Nuggets stint is therefore serving as an important reminder of what he can be when things go right he's inconsistent and he has meaningful weaknesses but he was always far more than these last few years suggested he's had a chance to remind the basketball world of that Russell Westbrook is force. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is finesse The two players and two personalities couldn’t be in more contrast is the love of a city: Westbrook as the Thunder’s past The two icons of different eras will collide starting at 8:30 p.m. Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals: Thunder vs. Nuggets Of course the series won’t be about SGA, the presumptive MVP but every time Westbrook returns to Oklahoma City as an opponent — he’s done it eight times now — Paycom Center melts into an emotional mess CARLSON: Russell Westbrook Experience returns to OKC for Thunder-Nuggets in NBA Playoffs: Buckle up “We understand the relationship he has to the organization and the relationship that they have with him,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Sunday “He’s an unbelievable philanthropist in the community This is a place that I think he really resonates with and a place that resonates with him.”  Westbrook, the star who stayed, is the most beloved Thunder player ever. Six years removed from playing here, Westbrook continues to invest in the city And while Westbrook spent most of his time in Oklahoma City as Robin to Kevin Durant Gilgeous-Alexander has been Batman since the turn of the decade Westbrook and Gilgeous-Alexander became inextricably linked on July 11, 2019 in the Thunder’s practice facility off Britton Road general manager Sam Presti finalized the trade that made Westbrook a Rocket Also in the Thunder’s gym that night was Gilgeous-Alexander who the Thunder had just acquired from the Clippers in the blockbuster Paul George trade Little did Presti or anyone else know that another Thunder MVP had walked into the building just as Westbrook left it Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder faced Westbrook’s Rockets It’ll be a little different this time around SGA was still under the tutelage of Chris Paul back in the 2020 playoffs The games were played in Orlando in front of no fans More: NBA playoff predictions: Are Boston Celtics, OKC Thunder still favorites after Round 1? but prepare for a tidal wave of something whenever he checks in for the first time “He always brings great energy and competitiveness to the game especially when he’s off the bench,” Daigneault said “You have to account for the fact that he’s gonna come in the game ready to rock and the pace of the game is gonna go up He’s gonna be trying to make something happen right off the bat and you can’t be flat-footed.”  This is the 17th season of the Thunder in Oklahoma City Russell Westbrook was here for the first 11 years Gilgeous-Alexander has been here for the last six years whose rookie season coincided with the inaugural year in OKC ushered in the first era of OKC basketball alongside Durant SGA has captained Thunder U 2.0 back into title contention Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com More: OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets: Who has the edge in NBA Playoffs? Still fired-up after the final buzzer started the clock on a second round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook entered the Denver locker room with a message. "Picked the wrong person, didn't they," he said. Russell Westbrook walking into the Nuggets’ locker room: “Picked the wrong person, didn’t they?” Westbrook played 89 games for the Clippers over the previous two NBA seasons before the franchise chose to move on from him in a deal that brought Kris Dunn to L.A. His first season with Denver has not been without some drama itself but he more than proved he can still be a major piece on a contender. Westbrook will have a chance to continue taking with his play against the Thunder, another previous stop on what's been an eventful career and promises further immediate intrigue. He shot just 26.0 percent from the field and had more turnovers than assists as the Mavericks knocked LA out in the opening round The Clippers attached a 2030 second-round draft pick to the former MVP to get Kris Dunn They could not have regretted that decision more after their Game 7 loss to the Nuggets in the first round of the 2025 playoffs The LA Clippers traded Russell Westbrook after he struggled mightily in the 2024 playoffs LA was a flawed team, but they won a crucial Game 6 to send it back to Denver. Nicolas Batum fueled things by replacing Dunn The guard’s limited offensive skill set made him a negative in this series Dunn started the first six games but was benched for Game 7 He got on the floor but missed his first three shots and was disastrous when the outcome was in question Westbrook sunk two wide-open triples and stuck it to his former team in the deciding contest It was a fine bit of vindication for the future Hall of Famer The Nuggets do not knock out LA without Westbrook including making a couple of crucial plays in Denver’s Game 1 overtime win from the nine-time All-Star in Game 5 to take a 3-2 edge Nikola Jokic struggled on Saturday evening but the Nuggets supporting cast stepped up Much has been said about Westbrook and Denver’s talent behind the three-time MVP Those players answered the call in their biggest game of the season so far All the Clippers could do was shake their heads LA looked gassed after a strong first quarter They fought back from a 3-2 deficit but just did not have enough to finish the series The LA Clippers now face a crucial offseason with several questions, and will have to watch Russell Westbrook face his first team in the second round. James Harden has a player option and will want a raise. He has a long track record of playoff struggles Do the Clippers keep him or risk regretting letting him go too LA needs more talent to be a serious contender in the loaded West and the added offense from Westbrook would have helped in this series Russell Westbrook got the last laugh on the Clippers He knocked out his former team and all the Clippers could do was regret giving up on him especially as Kris Dunn flamed out in the most important games © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"5z","src":"60","url":"61"},{"type":"5y","value":"62"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"65","url":"66"},{"type":"64","value":"67"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands He began writing for Clipperholics in April 2022 before being elevated to a Site Expert role in October 2023 Iliyan has written for FanSided’s ReignOfTroy he has also gained experience through internships with Sports Radio America and Fantom Sports Industries He has been covering the league since 2016 He consistently writes about all 30 NBA franchises and the WNBA He has seen every game of Luka Doncic's NBA career and his work has been featured on Bleacher Report and Fantasy Pros LA was a flawed team, but they won a crucial Game 6 to send it back to Denver. Nicolas Batum fueled things by replacing Dunn The LA Clippers now face a crucial offseason with several questions, and will have to watch Russell Westbrook face his first team in the second round. James Harden has a player option and will want a raise. He has a long track record of playoff struggles Editor's note: This story has been updated to add quotes from Miles Westbrook and breakdown how the Texas championship was won strategy can take a back seat to simply lining up and whipping everyone which is exactly what happened for Westbrook Friday at Mike Myers Stadium "I came into the race the strongest and fastest," Westbrook said in an absolute statement of fact if it's slow get ready to wind up at the end Westbrook sat a step behind Boerne Champion's Charlie Houck from the middle of the first lap until there was 210 meters to go By the middle of the homestretch Westbrook was waving his arms in the air in celebration 10.55 seconds was almost seven seconds ahead of Houck's 9:17.52 and all of that gap was in the final 210 meters "I've been thinking about this race for a couple of months This is Westbrook’s first state track medal. He made his debut at Mike A He was wrong about the "one more race tonight" line as a few hours after he collected his goal the rest of the running events were moved to Saturday morning I was ready to unleash a kick," Westbrook said "I wanted to go with 400 but I was a little scared he still had something in him I waited for as long as possible to catch him by surprise Westbrook got everyone on the track in a statement-making gold medal day Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.So what was he thinking in that final sprint Plenty of juicy storylines will surround their second-round series as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic headlined this year's MVP race The B subplot will have as many eyes on it as the A plot Russell Westbrook will get a chance to play against the franchise where he owns several of their records He spent his first 11 seasons on the Thunder and was the co-face of a decade-long title contender While the 36-year-old isn't the MVP candidate he was a decade ago he's molded himself into a Sixth Man energizer He was the shot in the arm the Nuggets needed in Game 7 after a slow start saw them trail against the Clippers As Westbrook returns to OKC for a playoff game for the first time since 2019 — the 2020 series was in The Bubble — expect a lot of emotions from the future Hall-of-Famer and the home crowd His only former teammates in the building will be Nick Collison in a suit and Eric Maynor and Mike Wilks on the bench as assistants the Thunder crowd has had the same routine They cheer him when he checks in and occasionally do the same when he makes a positive play Where the stakes are raised from a meh loss to a consequential defeat He deserves it for all the unfair criticisms over the years you should know this year is their best shot to bring home a championship You can't throw that away to let a former franchise great get a puncher's chance to win it instead with a divisional rival you shouldn't police fandom or tell folks how to act for a game they paid to get into you can't let your guys hear you cheer for the opposition Especially when you pride yourself on having one of the best homecourt advantages in all sports There will be plenty of future chances to cheer for Westbrook But this is the one time you have to hold your applause eliminating any potential for another dramatic moment in a matchup that has seen more its fair share of them Nikola Jokic and side entered the second quarter facing a five-point deficit before ripping off a run that spanned more than two quarters pushed the Nuggets' lead to 35 points and sent Ball Arena up for grabs With the outcome already very much decided, Russell Westbrook forced a steal and enjoyed a defense-free dunk to push Denver's cushion back to 31. The veteran, who answered a lot of critics with his three-point heroics in Game 1 made sure he got his money's worth celebrating the slam—and celebrating the winner-take-all laugher—by hanging on the rim until he heard a whistle It cost him a technical foul but perhaps no one has cared less about a technical foul than Westbrook did in this instance as he used it as a runway to a more thorough celebration with his home crowd This might be the funniest tech I’ve ever witnessedRussell Westbrook forever pic.twitter.com/VJeTI910pk It's a major power move to do something like this, just giving up a free point in the fourth quarter of a Game 7 and knowing it's not going to matter at all. Westbrook will have more chances to draw more techs in style in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates The Clippers tried to keep this game close They actually ended the first quarter with a 26-21 lead everything went downhill from there.  The Nuggets blew the Clippers out of the water by outscoring them 72-40 in the second and third quarters The game -- and the series -- was over even before the fourth quarter had started.  Russell Westbrook played his part in the dominant win, as the former NBA MVP registered 16 points of 5-of-9 shooting five steals and two triples in 27 minutes off the bench.  Westbrook collected three offensive boards in this one which allowed him to make a little bit of history on Saturday night.   Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) moves the ball up court against the Clippers According to StatMamba Westbrook now holds the record for the most offensive rebounds by a guard in Game 7s in the history of the NBA.  On top of that, the nine-time All-Star also has the second-most steals in a Game 7 with five his five swipes on Saturday night.  This speaks volumes about Westbrook's ability to impact the game from multiple facets as well as his unbridled stat-stuffing prowess.  The Nuggets, who were able to take down L.A. in Game 7 with a final score of 120-101, will now need Westbrook to keep his foot on the gas. They have a tough challenge ahead in the second round as they face off against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.  Game 1 of that series will be on Monday in OKC.   Russell Westbrook snagged the ball clean out of Ivica Zubac’s hands and sprinted to the other end of the court With no Clipper defender in shouting distance But in total, the whole thing Saturday night became not only a highlight but also Peak Russ As Westbrook was about to let go of the rim “I’m gonna stay up here and try to break the rim” — and he waved back and forth like a kid on a playground swing A tech was called, and with the Denver crowd roaring its approval in what had turned into a Game 7 rout in the Rockies, Russ mimicked the tech call and threw his fist into the air. Then, he turned his attention to the Nugget faithful Welcome to the Russell Westbrook Experience Next show: NBA Playoffs, Monday night in Oklahoma City CARLSON: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to be one of the greats and one of the guys We, of course, have had a front-row seat for this spectacle before. For more than a decade, it was front and center here as Westbrook became one of the best players in the league, an MVP and a triple-double machine. He was easily the most entertaining (for better and for worse) and even more easily the most beloved player in Thunder history In a series likely to be decided by numerous factors — whose MVP-caliber superstar shines brightest, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic is prime among them — Westbrook's play ranks down the list of importance But after the way he performed against the Clippers he will have an impact in this Thunder series Westbrook averaged 13.8 points a game in the first round and he had big contributions on defense and the glass He swiped five steals in Game 7 and had eight- and 10-rebound games in the series He was easily the Nuggets’ best player off the bench an area that’s super thin for Denver and will be exceedingly important against OKC How the Nuggets handle the Thunder’s second wave guys like Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins he’s had to play off the ball way more than he ever did in OKC and while Westbrook has always been a willing outside shooter defenses don't feel like they have to worry as much about the 36-year-old driving to the basket like he used to The Clippers sagged all the way to Colorado Springs The Thunder might have to re-think such a strategy after Westbrook shot 41.9% from behind the arc in the first round It’s an extension of an embrace of the corner 3 that started when he was with the Clippers and began to really pay dividends this season Westbrook led the Nuggets with 45 corner 3s even splashed one in Game 1 against the Clippers to send it to overtime he's found an off-ball balance between the 3 and the drive; he scored 126 points this season as a cutter marking the first time he'd crossed the 100-point plateau since the year the Thunder made the NBA Finals while also playing the second-fewest minutes of his career during a season without an injury the improvement in the outside shooting is the biggest change did Westbrook take offense to the Clippers’ leaving him open behind the arc “No offense,” he told reporters in Denver after Game 7 “I think they believed that that was their best bet of stopping me or taking me out of the series Someone informed him of his series percentage More: OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets predictions, odds: Who wins NBA playoff series? I guess it didn’t work out so well for them.” Westbrook had been even more demonstrative in his how-the-Clips-played-him take heading into the locker room after the game Nuggets beat writer for the Denver Gazette who exactly Westbrook was referring to isn’t clear who supplanted Russ as the Clippers’ point guard last season who chose to leave Russ unguarded from deep might’ve been all of the above and then some plays with a chip on his shoulder bigger than the entire Rocky Mountain range Maybe that changes in this playoff series after Caruso or Wallace or (be still my heart) Lu Dort spends some time hounding him “That’s like home for me,” Westbrook said after Game 7 But they also know the reason that they do love me — because I compete at a high level “That’s all I can do is go out and be myself and compete.” More: Gregg Popovich 'literally changed' the Spurs and NBA forever, including OKC Thunder How the Westbrook Experience plays out in this series is anyone’s guess playing a playoff series against the franchise that drafted him in a city that adores him Thunder Nation has never been in this position before either But how will it feel if he makes a game-changing shot or snags a series-altering rebound that Russ is going to bring the intensity of a thousand suns into this series “My ability to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on,” he told reporters Saturday night We’ve seen this show before but never from this vantage point we’re going to have a hard time taking our eyes off it Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at jcarlson@oklahoman.com follow her at @jennicarlsonok.bsky.social and twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today making the bold move of firing both their general manager and head coach just a few games before the start of the postseason In a move that was shocking given the timing the implication it would have on the playoffs remained up in the air In a total team effort that saw big games from Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun the Nuggets held off the Clippers' 3-2 series comeback by delivering a blowout in Game 7 to advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round One of the biggest talking points of this series has been Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook and he called out the Clippers after the win Russell Westbrook after walking into the Nuggets’ locker room:“Picked the wrong person, didn’t they?”(via @VBenedetto) pic.twitter.com/PTzkJayQ9s “Picked the wrong person, didn’t they?” Westbrook said as he walked into the locker room, according to Nuggets reporter Vinny Benedetto After being constantly talked about by Clippers fans online Westbrook ended his former team's season with a stellar performance perhaps the most valuable asset he brought during the series was his three-point shooting He shot 50% from three in four of the six games he appeared in Russell Westbrook on shooting 42% from 3: "Damn, that's solid" pic.twitter.com/4Vpr0bEuxU Seeing his former teams won't stop here as Westbrook will now face off against the Thunder the team that made him into the Hall of Famer he will be once his career ends Their series begins on Monday in Oklahoma City Denver Nuggets Make History vs Clippers in Game 7 Russell Westbrook Makes NBA History in Nuggets-Clippers Game 7 Lakers Legend Sends Message To Nikola Jokic Before Nuggets-Clippers With the Oklahoma City Thunder awaiting the winner of their series after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies the Thunder will have to wait one more game to figure out who they'll face next Despite a fourth-quarter comeback attempt from the Nuggets the Clippers hung on for the 111-105 victory over Denver to send the series to a Game 7 Los Angeles was powered by their three leading scorers from the regular season and Norman Powell combined for 79 points in the win Chris Paul & Russell Westbrook tonight 🖤 pic.twitter.com/O2PBO2ymnD Coming off the bench but playing 35 minutes due to poor play from Michael Porter Jr. While Westbrook's stat line looks impressive on the surface there were some moments he'd likely wish he could have back fans took to social media to react to his Game 6 The Russell Westbrook experience.This missed layup led to a Norman Powell three on the other end.pic.twitter.com/vBauuDMdwY Westbrook missed a crucial layup late when Denver was down 107-101 His miss ended up leading to a Powell made three as fans were quick to criticize Westbrook after another missed layup RUSSELL WESTBROOK pic.twitter.com/S05Epz8egk there was also the good side of Westbrook tonight as well converting two of his four attempts from three and shooting 50% overall from the field he's shown several times this series that he can still contribute to winning basketball Dish then a swish pic.twitter.com/2DsxEVjyF6 the Nuggets will be hoping they get another productive scoring night from Westbrook in Game 7 back in Denver he'll set himself up for a playoff matchup against the Thunder Russell Westbrook Makes NBA History in Nuggets-Clippers Game 5 Ex-Nuggets Coach Takes Shot at JJ Redick After Lakers-Wolves Nikola Jokic's Message Before Clippers-Nuggets Game 6 He was a game-changer early on and was able to have some fun in the final minutes of the game With the game out of hand and the Nuggets winning by 29 points with seven minutes remaining Westbrook pulled an all-time classic move after forcing a turnover threw down a two-handed dunk while hanging on the rim Westbrook then looked at the referee and mimicked the technical "T" signal with his hands before turning to the crowd and hyping them up for a 31-point lead in a Game 7 With Denver leading by over 30 in the fourth quarter, that technical meant nothing and Westbrook just wanted to have some extra fun as he sometimes likes to do. Despite some negative comments that he receives, Westbrook is a team guy and a major help for a postseason team to flourish Playing for his sixth career team and being his first season with Denver, Westbrook has been very impressive considering he is 36 years old. He is averaging 13.3 points on 45% shooting with 4.9 rebounds Westbrook does not receive the credit for longevity that he deserves The numbers that he is still posting on a team that possesses a future Hall-of-Fame center He is still one of the top elite players in the league with his impact each game The Nuggets will now take on the Western Conference's No 1 overall seed in the Oklahoma City Thunder with Game 1 beginning Monday at 9:30 p.m Westbrook will be tasked with disrupting this young Follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking Bruins story again Give us your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE TOM CAVANAUGH they were a consistent winner and reached the 2009 Western Confernece finals USA; Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl watches his team take on the Dallas Mavericks during the game at the American Airlines Center Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesKarl has been very active on social media about the current Nuggets He has also been a big supporter of Russell Westbrook he still brings a strong veteran presence and his crazy Don’t give up on Russ yet! When he’s used in the right way, he still brings a strong veteran presence and his crazy, positive energy @russwest44 Karl continues to be right about Westbrook as the future Hall of Famer helped lead the Nuggets to a 120-101 victory over the LA Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series five assists and five steals while shooting 5/9 from the field and 2/4 from the three-point range in 27 minutes of playing time Via Real Sports: "Russell Westbrook has the highest win % in Game 7s by any active player (minimum 5 GP)." Russell Westbrook has the highest win % in Game 7s by any active player (minimum 5 GP). pic.twitter.com/1BqMAo5afX On Saturday, Karl sent out another post about Westbrook that had over 380 likes and 12,000 impressions He wrote: "Nuggets needed a tougher dude after the game 7 loss a year ago This is the game he was brought to Denver to play." Russ was worth it https://t.co/4AU77KxtFa The Nuggets will now face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA playoffs. See the latest injury update for Nuggets PG Russell Westbrook ahead of Nuggets vs UPDATE: Westbrook is available for Tuesday’s game Prior to Game 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers Russell Westbrook ($5,100) sprained his ankle playing one-on-one He drove down the baseline then rolled his left ankle as he was about to go up for a layup He was able to start but went to the locker room after nine minutes and did not return but he’s now questionable for Tuesday’s Game 5 shooting 5-of-17 and 5-of-11 from the field for 34 and 23 FPTS Julian Strawther ($3,000) and Jalen Pickett ($3,100) both played 10 minutes in Game 3 Peyton Watson ($3,300) was the only reserve to get over 10 minutes of run as every starter played at least 42 minutes he will likely receive over 20 minutes of playing time in Game 5 The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences All odds and lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change Stan joined DraftKings in December of 2020 when we got Madden streams and boisterous bat flips from the KBO I was brought on board to bring some West Coast flavor the beat that I hear is not one of crashing waves it is the beat of the ball bouncing off the hardwood with highs provided by the squeaks of the sneakers I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is sontzu) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information Alex Hunter provides his top DraftKings fantasy golf value plays for the Truist Championship Griffin Wong offers a prediction and best bet for Champions League semifinal second leg between FC Barcelona and Inter Milan CALL 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (AZ/CO/DC/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NJ/NH/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY) (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA) Call 877-8-HOPENY / text HOPENY (467369) (NY).Please Gamble Responsibly Void where prohibited.21+ (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY) Physically present in AZ/CO/DC/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/KY/LA(select parishes)/MA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY only On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS) it’s only right that we place a few prop bets for them in Game 1 I have a pick for Jokic as a passer and Gilgeous-Alexander as a scorer for the Denver Nuggets-Oklahoma City Thunder matchup on Monday night there is a veteran guard that could be undervalued in his role in this matchup Oddsmakers have set the Thunder as massive favorites in this series and there’s a chance that I’ll be targeting player props rather than huge spreads all throughout this series Here’s a breakdown of how to bet on Game 1 Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. Gilgeous-Alexander is attempting a bunch of 3-point shots averaging 7.0 attempts per game while knocking down at least two in two of those matchups While he’s shooting just 25.0 percent in the playoffs SGA was a 37.5-percent shooter from 3 in the regular season This is also a great matchup against a Denver team that was 22nd in the NBA in opponent 3-point percentage and 20th in opponent 3s made per game in the regular season I expect Gilgeous-Alexander to still have a pretty big workload from beyond the arc as by far the No Jokic has four games with at least 10 assists picking up at least eight in every game he’s played in getting the yearly MVP candidate at +100 to get double-digit assists feels like a pretty solid value Jokic averaged over 10 assists per game in the regular season It’ll be interesting to see how OKC plays Jokic but the Nuggets star has been playing way too many minutes (40.0 per game) in the postseason for me to pass him up at this number Jokic had 40 games in the regular season with 10 or more dimes Russell Westbrook has played a huge role for the Nuggets and it could end up being even bigger if Michael Porter Jr struggles or is limited by his shoulder injury Westbrook scored 11 or more points in all five games that he was able to play in and complete against the Clippers averaging 16.0 points per game in those contests The minutes will be there for Westbrook since Denver is playing such a shortened rotation and he’s taken 10 or more shots in four of his playoff games I think this is a perfect spot to buy low on the veteran guard – even against a tough OKC defense Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here Are you new to DraftKings? Sign up today and place a $5 bet to earn a guaranteed $150 in bonus bets. Win or lose DraftKings will issue six $25 bonus bets instantly the Oklahoma City Thunder found out its Round 2 matchup after the Denver Nuggets throttled the LA Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round series The Thunder have been on ice for over a week as they await the start of Round 2 on Monday inside the Paycom Center Though its matchup is a familiar foe in more ways than one Not only are the Nuggets a divisional rival with each side playing each other four times this season but the Denver roster includes Thunder franchise icon Russell Westbrook This is the second time Westbrook will face off with the Thunder in the NBA Playoffs though the previous meeting was in Disney World in front of fans appearing via video call rather than the lively Paycom Center crowd Westbrook hasn't played in front of a rowdy Paycom Center crowd in the opposite team's jersey and has never soaked up anything but sentiment and applause each time he has checked into each contest –– multiple times a game –– but Monday night has a different feeling Both sides ended their respective seasons in the second round a year ago both believe they can reach the NBA Finals The Thunder are the heavy favorites to make it out of the West with plenty of expectations and external pressure placed on them No one can predict how the fanatics decked out in a unified wardrobe will receive the most meaningful player in franchise history who will play a pivotal role in the Nuggets' hopes of beating the Thunder Westbrook was asked about this homecoming following Game 7 perhaps issuing the blueprint for the Thunder faithful but they also know the reason why they do love me.. try to go & steal one there," Westbrook Said after Saturday's Game 7 win The Paycom Center will always open Westbrook with arms wide open –– they'd even serenade him with Creed's hit if he asked –– but the playoffs have to feel different Westbrook isn't marching into Bricktown in search of flowers he is seeking to dominate the team in Blue and Orange Thunder fans should expect nothing less and treat him with no exception Perhaps the right move is a tip of the cap in Game 1 when the future Hall of Famer sprints onto the court Westbrook will aim to play the villainous role but his presence on the Denver Nuggets this season helped the team advance to the second round of the playoffs His energy is contagious and was something the Memphis Grizzlies severely lacked when the going got tough during their second-half slide this season Russell Westbrook will turn 37 years old at the beginning of next season This team needs a veteran with the type of energy he has to help them overcome a hurdle they have been knocked for since Dillon Brooks left for the Houston Rockets in 2023 With a huge offseason coming up to clean up their weaknesses Westbrook should be considered a target for a team whose starting point guard's style of play he mimics Derrick Rose was another player whose athletic style at the point guard position was similar to Ja Morant's and the Grizzlies signed him as a free agent in the summer of 2023 to be his backup point guard Rose was limited to 24 games due to injuries and he and Morant never had the chance to play together as he was out during Morant's limited time on the court (9 games) After an injury-filled season for the entirety of the team Rose retired just shortly before training camp began before the 2024-25 season earned the role vacated by Rose to good results but after another season ended with Morant leaving the court with an injury the team needs to pursue another athlete who has more left in the tank than Derrick Rose did and provide the team with another ball handler Westbrook is still playing as the second round of the playoffs gets underway when he and the Nuggets face off against the team that ended the Grizzlies' season, the Oklahoma City Thunder. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds this season in a mostly bench role in 75 games played during the regular season He averaged 13.8 points in their first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers and knows his role as an enforcer and spark plug off the bench and he was Ja Morant's favorite player growing up He doesn't help the Grizzlies' shooting issue, but with Morant's injury history, the Grizzlies need a player who can produce when he's out and can provide guidance on how to better take care of his body on a day-to-day basis Westbrook is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and shouldn't cost too much for the Grizzlies to obtain as a second attempt to provide a mentor for Ja Morant ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"5w","src":"5x","url":"5y"},{"type":"5v","value":"5z"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"62","url":"63"},{"type":"61","value":"64"},"All Rights Reserved He has previously written and hosted the Starting 5 podcast for SBNation’s Grizzly Bear Blues (2020-2023) which transitioned him to becoming the Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies G League affiliate) Beat Writer in 2023 he is the Memphis Grizzlies Beat Reporter (2023-Present) for Bluff City Media and the founder of Let’s Be Real Media (2017-Present) He has been covering the league since 2017 Will currently writes about relevant stories across the NBA while specializing in coverage of his local team He has written for publications including Sports Illustrated This team needs a veteran with the type of energy he has to help them overcome a hurdle they have been knocked for since Dillon Brooks left for the Houston Rockets in 2023 Westbrook is still playing as the second round of the playoffs gets underway when he and the Nuggets face off against the team that ended the Grizzlies' season, the Oklahoma City Thunder. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds this season in a mostly bench role in 75 games played during the regular season He doesn't help the Grizzlies' shooting issue, but with Morant's injury history, the Grizzlies need a player who can produce when he's out and can provide guidance on how to better take care of his body on a day-to-day basis A similar style player could coule help Ja rework his game Saturday’s contest is a win-or-go-home game for each side as they both look to keep their championship hopes alive and advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round the series has been a back-and-forth one thus far as the Nuggets were unable to clinch the series in Los Angeles on Thursday night but they will now have an opportunity to do so at home on Saturday Denver is 2-1 at home in the series, which includes a blowout victory in Game 5 behind Nikola Jokic’s triple-double and Jamal Murray’s 43 points The Nuggets will need their stars to step up once again on Saturday if they want to keep their season alive and they also received some positive news regarding two of their key players ahead of the matchup Ahead of Game 7, the Nuggets have not listed Russell Westbrook or Michael Porter Jr on their injury report and they will be available for Saturday’s game This is massive news for Denver as both players have dealt with injuries throughout the series but they will be able to continue to play through them Westbrook suffered a foot injury in pregame warmups ahead of Game 3 that limited in that contest and kept him out of Game 4 Westbrook has since been able to return and he has played a key role off the bench for the Nuggets he suffered a left shoulder injury in Game 2 of the series and he has been able to play through it thus far Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr they have nobody listed on their injury report for Game 7 on Saturday Fans can catch Saturday’s Game 7 matchup between the Clippers and Nuggets at 7:30 p.m as the three-time MVP has a chance to secure a fourth this season as he contends with Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with a mix of veterans and high-level complementary players around Jokic One of those key players is Russell Westbrook who is more familiar with being a star than a complementary player his impact in the first round for the Nuggets has been seen Westbrook found himself making NBA history in the process Westbrook now has the most offensive rebounds by a guard in NBA Game 7 history it really tells just how the type of player Westbrook has been didn't just stumble upon these offensive rebounds he's always been a player who's played with high effort and crashed the boards Especially in a tight series like the Nuggets and Clippers Westbrook's ability to create second-chance points is crucial for team success ALL. OUT. EFFORT. BY. WESTBROOK.DEN leads late 2Q I Game 7 on TNT pic.twitter.com/55Xt40wbnr Given Denver's big lead in the fourth quarter they'll likely be on their way to face the Oklahoma City Thunder next round Aside from a battle between the two MVP favorites it will also be a matchup for Westbrook against his former team NBA Fans React to Russell Westbrook's Performance in Nuggets-Clippers Game 6 played through a painful left shoulder injury and said he wasn't sure if he would be available for Saturday's Game 4 Westbrook turned his left foot while warming up before the game and attempted to play through the injury before being taken out midway through the second quarter non-shooting shoulder while diving for a ball near the end of Denver's Game 2 loss on Monday A source told ESPN that Porter suffered a Grade 2 sprain of a joint in his shoulder Porter said he was unable to lift his arm above his shoulder on the two off days and that it was incredibly painful but said that he wanted to try to play Thursday to give his team a lift Asked if he'd be able to play Saturday in Game 4 with the Nuggets now trailing in the series 2-1 "If it's still in the place like it is today and I don't feel like I can even bring any help to the team at all then there's no point in trying to go out there." Nuggets coach David Adelman repeatedly praised Porter Jr.'s toughness in trying to play through the injury. Teammate Aaron Gordon called him a "warrior." But it was clear early Thursday that the Nuggets' best 3-point shooter was limited seemed to be dragging his left arm as he ran up and down the court all night hitting just one 3-pointer and grabbing seven rebounds That contributed somewhat to the huge disparity in 3-point shooting between the teams The Clippers hit 18 of their 39 3-point shots from behind the arc (46%) built a 20-point lead early behind that hot shooting and never looked back as it won its first playoff game in the new Intuit Dome It was the Clippers' third-largest playoff victory in franchise history Denver's Nikola Jokic became the first player in postseason history to record consecutive 20-point triple doubles and lose both games This is the 10th time the Clippers have held a 2-1 lead in a best-of-7 series the only team in NBA history with a losing series record in that scenario "I wish it was faster. I don't want to think about this one anymore," Nuggets forward Christian Braun said after the game We just got punched in the mouth and you have to respond This time, the legendary guard is headed to a city he represented for 11 seasons -- that being Oklahoma City, as the Denver Nuggets will take on the Thunder in the second round Westbrook was essential in putting the LA Clippers away -- the club he spent the last two seasons competing with While Nikola Jokic takes the bulk of attention for the Nuggets Westbrook has been able to make a winning impact -- despite many fans having written him off and spinning untrue narratives regarding his play The former MVP has been ridiculed for his inability to shoot 3-pointers efficiently with many crediting that to why he isn't a winning player well past his prime Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) passes in the third quarter against the LA Clippers during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena Westbrook shot 42% on 3-pointers against LA helping Denver win the series in seven games Westbrook was asked about the Cilppers daring him to shoot The Nuggets guard then asked the reporter what his percentage was His three-word statement was put perfectly the future Hall of Fame guard provided his regular feisty play with high intensity as he helped the Nuggets put the Clippers away for that matter -- needs to be ready to nail jump shots The same will be true in round two against the Thunder Westbrook gets to stunt on any of those that have driven a narrative about him being a losing player as he silenced his critics during the series Plenty of juicy storylines about the Thunder and Nuggets can already be written out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic headlined another MVP race as it appears the former will finally capture the prestigious award There's also the Russell Westbrook factor. For the first time since being traded in 2019, the 36-year-old will play at OKC in front of a playoff crowd on Monday for Game 1. He was robbed of that opportunity with the Houston Rockets in 2020 due to The Bubble While he's no longer the former MVP winner Westbrook still has similar highs and lows as a bench player He played a big role in the Nuggets' closeout game as a jolt of energy off the bench when Denver was lethargic in the opening minutes Like Shawn Michaels did to Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24 Thunder fans know they must eliminate their franchise leader in most stats to get to their ultimate prize of an NBA championship It's a bittersweet reality as the NBA has mocked Westbrook for not being a winning player and still being ringless The Thunder know better than anybody else about the ferocious competitor he can be It doesn't matter if the future Hall-of-Famer still loves the city and vice versa; he still wants to help the Nuggets beat them in their playoff series I always got love for everybody there — the people but they also know the reason why they do love me and I’m going to do that every night," Westbrook said Westbrook might get an applause the first time he checks in for the Nuggets Thunder fans should treat him like the opposition It's the playoffs after all and he's another obstacle the first-seed must overcome to reach their title hopes in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.  Their reward is a second-round matchup with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder, another old Westbrook outfit and his initial NBA stomping grounds where he undeniably played the best basketball of his career.  Westbrook has always played with a bulldog-like physicality and ferocity and Westbrook stopped baring his teeth for a couple moments following Denver's Game-7 victory to send a strong message to his former organization before they go to battle "That's like home for me," Westbrook said "I always got love for everybody there." Thunder general manager Sam Presti selected Westbrook out of UCLA with the No 4 overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft.  earning his way to eight All-Star appearances eight All-NBA selections and one MVP award over that stretch.  After leaving Oklahoma City, Westbrook became something of a journeyman. He's had stops with the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers the aforementioned Clippers and now the Nuggets.  Denver will undoubtedly need Westbrook to be a spark off the bench again if they hope to advance beyond the younger, deeper and better-rested Thunder in the second round.  One round through the NBA Playoffs and Russell Westbrook is already doing what the Washington Wizards desperately hoped he could do for them When the Wizards traded for Westbrook in 2020 they were getting a former MVP still in his prime coming off a monster season with the Houston Rockets 7.9 rebounds and 7 assists during his lone season The move to land Westbrook was partly due to taking the best package available to offload John Wall and his contract after his relationship with the Wizards soured but it was also due to the idea that the star guard paired to Bradley Beal at the time could be the right combination to get Washington back where they wanted to be competing in the East Considering a backcourt filled with Westbrook and Beal was without a doubt one of the best in the league made sense as to why the Wizards believed that pair could work especially if they put the correct supporting cast around them Westbrook's presence didn't help push Washington to where they needed to go despite averaging 22.2 points 11.7 assists and 11.5 rebounds along the way His play inspired the Lakers to make a blockbuster move for the guard and that was the start of a downhill climb for the UCLA product's career. After bouncing around between both LA-based teams, the guard found himself a free agent before signing with the Nuggets this offseason, becoming yet another Wizards guard to join the Mile High squad. It took some time for the veteran to find his role he immediately became the go-to do-it-all option for Denver down the stretch and carried that into the postseason Through the first-round of the playoffs for the Nuggets while averaging 1.3 steals on the opposite end of the court The former All-Star proved that he can still be a difference-maker and his timely winning plays and unlimited effort for all 48 minutes is a large part as to how Denver managed to get past the LA Clippers who many believed would end their season after firing head coach Michael Malone weeks before the playoffs began Despite it all, Westbrook has found his spot and while he couldn't help the Wizards reach their ultimate goal, he had the opportunity to keep a trend involving his former team alive if he can continue to elevate the Nuggets as the postseason continues ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"60","src":"61","url":"62"},{"type":"5z","value":"63"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"66","url":"67"},{"type":"65","value":"68"},"All Rights Reserved where he covers the Washington Wizards at Wiz of Awes With over four years of writing experience and a bachelor’s degree in Sports and Entertainment Management he brings a wealth of knowledge to the table John has worked with world-renowned organizations such as SportsGrid and The Sporting News as well as received multiple accolades for achieving the highest monthly views at SportsGrid he stays up to date with every game and in the know with trending news across the league His play inspired the Lakers to make a blockbuster move for the guard and that was the start of a downhill climb for the UCLA product's career. After bouncing around between both LA-based teams, the guard found himself a free agent before signing with the Nuggets this offseason, becoming yet another Wizards guard to join the Mile High squad. Despite it all, Westbrook has found his spot and while he couldn't help the Wizards reach their ultimate goal, he had the opportunity to keep a trend involving his former team alive if he can continue to elevate the Nuggets as the postseason continues Russell Westbrook is elevating the Nuggets to a championship level either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content The Denver Nuggets took down the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series More NBA news: Jimmy Butler All But Guarantees Warriors Will Win Game 7 vs Rockets The Nuggets will now get ready to take on the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in what should be a fascinating series. This matchup will feature two of the three NBA MVP finalists Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook offered some surprising thoughts on his game Westbrook shared some truths with the media that fans never thought he would admit to "My ability to be able to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on Russ on the Russ experience:"My ability to be able to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on. It may be a turnover, it may be a missed shot, but it may be a steal, may be a dunk, may be a missed 3, maybe a made 3, it's gonna be all of that" pic.twitter.com/Up0JGZs5qn Westbrook has been a controversial player over the past few years due to his inconsistency on the floor. Many NBA fans have a running joke of "Live by Westbrook More NBA news: Lakers Hold Private Meeting With Luka Doncic as Contract Rumors Swirl But it seems that Westbrook understands that his game can take his team all over the place This is some surprising accountability from the Nuggets guard and shows that he has grown as a player over time Winning the series over the Clippers must have felt good to Westbrook considering that Los Angeles got rid of him last offseason The former league MVP has bounced around the league over the past few years seeing his playing time limited in different spots But he has found a nice role with the Nuggets and many believe that he has a legitimate chance to finally win a title Westbrook was massive in the series against the Clippers Denver could do something special if Westbrook continues being selfless in the postseason and many fans have been happy to see him find success this season Warriors-Rockets Game 7: Steph Curry Injury Status Revealed Former Bulls Champion Begs Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen to End Rift Rockets' Amen Thompson Takes Shot at Warriors Fans After Game 6 For more on the Nuggets, Clippers, NBA news, and rumors, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that is factual and fair We value your input and encourage you to rate this article Newsletters in your inbox See all but a team effort in Game 7 ensured the Nuggets held on long enough to secure a spot in the second round Russell Westbrook had a phenomenal night exacting his revenge on the Clippers with 16 points The Clippers traded Westbrook last summer before he landed with the Nuggets having a much better season in Denver than what we saw last season The 36-year-old guard opened up on the "Russell Westbrook experience" in his post-game press conference after eliminating the Clippers.  "I pride myself on being a force of nature on the floor Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook Westbrook's improvement has been a result of an unwavering commitment to playing his style of basketball Despite criticism of his poor shooting ability and poor basketball-IQ moments Westbrook has refused to deviate from his style His performance against the Clippers proved that style can be a force for good 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in the series being one of six players to score over 15 points in Game 7 to deliver the final blow The guard will now get the opportunity to prove another former team wrong, as he'll face the OKC Thunder in the second round The Nuggets at Thunder open their series at 9:30 p.m he faces off against his former Oklahoma City Thunder team in the playoffs it'll be the first time Westbrook actually plays in Oklahoma due to the first matchup being in the bubble Very few modern NBA players are as beloved in cities as Westbrook is in Oklahoma City he'll be returning as public enemy number one That’s a first," Westbrook said about returning to Oklahoma City but they also know the reason why they do love me — because I compete at a high level and I’m going to do that every night — that’s all I can do is go out Russ on what it’ll be like playing OKC in the playoffs: “I don’t know. That’s a first. That’s like home for me. I always got love for everybody there — the people, the fans. I know it’s mutual, but they also know the reason why they do love me — because I compete at a high… pic.twitter.com/3rahdhDusL Very few are going to pick the Denver Nuggets to defeat the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA playoffs very few had them picked to beat the Clippers as well nearly everyone on the team shot above their averages and played with a level of heart that LA didn't have themselves The Denver Nuggets are going to need Russell Westbrook and they're going to need that heart as they face off in Oklahoma on Monday FARBOD ESNAASHARI 11-year veteran inside of NBA arenas. Published for ESPN, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and FanNation. Follow @Farbod_E on Twitter. Russell Westbrook threw down a vicious breakaway dunk that was more than worth the technical foul he received as he hung on the rim and busted his vocal cords at the Denver crowd Westbrook and the Thunder are tied at the hip The 36-year-old spent his first 11 NBA seasons in OKC He enjoyed his best years there on a title contender with several individual accolades like yearly All-Star nods and the 2017 MVP award Fast-forward five years after both sides mutually divorced the Thunder must overcome their franchise leader in most stats if they want to win a championship Westbrook continues to chase his first ring and is now a prototypical Sixth Man scorer for the top-heavy Nuggets As Mark Daigneault gets to finally zero in on their Round 2 opponent he said the first seed must be aware of how much Westbrook can disrupt the flow of a game — for better or worse He cited his 29-point outburst in Denver's Nov win over OKC to hand it its first regular-season loss you have to account for the fact that he's going to come into the game ready to rock," Daigneault said "The pace of the game is gonna go up and he's gonna try to make something happen right off the bat and you can't flat-foot him in that way." Westbrook's playoff series against the Thunder will invoke all types of emotions It'll be bittersweet as the bond between the player and fanbase is in the same breath as Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks Expect Westbrook to get an ovation for Game 1 It'll be his first playoff game at Paycom Center since he was traded in 2019 His only former teammates in the building will be Nick Collison in a suit and Eric Maynor on the Thunder assistant bench "We understand the relationship he has to the organization He’s an unbelievable philanthropist in the community," Daigneault said "This is a place he really resonates with him and a place that resonates with him." expect the Thunder crowd to return to treating the Nuggets like a playoff opponent they're the next obstacle in the way of the title favorite he’ll be ready to compete for Denver and we”ll be ready to compete for Oklahoma City," Daigneault said the Denver Nuggets picked up a huge win in Game 4 thanks to an Aaron Gordon buzzer-beater The Nuggets and Clippers are now tied 2-2 heading back to Denver for Game 5 setting up for another postseason classic on Tuesday night Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook injured his foot in pregame warm-ups before Game 3 last week and ultimately left the game early after trying to play through it Westbrook was sidelined altogether for Saturday's Game 4 but the Nuggets are hoping to get their veteran point guard back on the floor for Game 5 USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) moves the ball up court against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of game three in the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome the Nuggets have upgraded Westbrook to questionable for Tuesday's game due to left foot inflammation Injury Report ahead of Game Five against the Clippers:PROBABLE:Michael Porter Jr. (Left Shoulder Sprain)QUESTIONABLE:Russell Westbrook (Left Foot Inflammation)OUT:DaRon Holmes II (Right Achilles Tendon Repair)#MileHighPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/fD4WmlQOUg and 1.5 steals off the bench while shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc Westbrook had his moments where he seemed to make a negative impact but the 36-year-old made multiple game-winning plays down the stretch Westbrook is certainly looking to make a statement against his former team in this highly anticipated first-round playoff series Westbrook's status remains up in the air but Denver has still shown they do not need him The Nuggets are 8-0 this season when Westbrook sits The Nuggets and Clippers will face off for Game 5 at 10:00 p.m LOGAN STRUCKLogan Struck is a writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's On SI since 2023 Tuesday’s game is a crucial one for both teams as the series is tied up at two games apiece meaning that one of the team will take the series lead with a chance to close it out in Game 6 on Thursday Denver won Game 1 of the series in overtime but then lost Game 2 and 3 allowing Los Angeles to take the lead in the series The Nuggets were then able to bounce back on Saturday as they defeated the Clippers on a buzzer-beating dunk by Aaron Gordon after Nikola Jokic could not get his three-pointer to fall Denver now enters Tuesday’s home game looking to use their home court to their advantage as they try to take a 3-2 series lead Ahead of Tuesday's game, the Nuggets received some positive news regarding both Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr Denver announced that both Westbrook and Porter Jr will be available for Tuesday's game despite dealing with injuries he was listed as questionable due to left foot inflammation that caused him to exit Game 2 and be sidelined in game 3 the former MVP winner will return for the Nuggets in Game 5 and he should have a large role off the bench USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) gestures after a three point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Paycom Center he suffered a left shoulder sprain in Game 2 of the series but he has been able to play through it and that will continue in Game 5 on Tuesday the Clippers enter Tuesday’s game with a healthy roster as they have nobody listed on their injury report Fans can catch Tuesday’s Game 5 matchup between the Clippers and Nuggets at 10:00 p.m even though they were playing without standout sixth man Russell Westbrook but the veteran point guard still made a statement in his Game 5 return Westbrook dropped 21 points on 8-15 shooting from the field and 3-6 from three-point range off the bench Many fans continue to count out the 2017 NBA MVP winner and he came up huge for the Nuggets on Tuesday night Russell Westbrook tonight;21 Points8/15 FGM3/6 3PM2/2 FTM pic.twitter.com/kBnYRARkXT Not only did Westbrook have a great performance in Game 5 but he also climbed up some historic leaderboards Westbrook reached 1,023 career field goals in the playoffs passing Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce for 34th place on the NBA's all-time leaderboard Westbrook also made his 126th career playoff appearance passing Dwight Howard and Bobby Jones for 93rd place on that historic list USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) reacts to his defensive turnover in overtime against the LA Clippers at Ball Arena Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesWestbrook has had a decorated career with nine All-Star appearances but the veteran point guard has yet to win a championship The 36-year-old star has only made one NBA Finals appearance in his career but now playing alongside three-time MVP Nikola Jokic he has as good of a chance as ever to finally add that trophy to his collection The Nuggets will look to ride their momentum into Game 6 back in LA on Thursday as they try to finish the series and advance to the second round He was technically drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics but they relocated to Oklahoma City ahead of the 2008-09 season Known as an all-around offensive talent, Westbrook became the first player (in 2017) since Oscar Robertson in 1962 to average a triple-double for an entire season. Westbrook has averaged a triple-double four times throughout his 17-year-career. His Denver Nuggets teammate, Nikola Jokic became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double this season The thing Westbrook has not been known for throughout his illustrious career is being an efficient, long-range shooter. Westbrook is a career 30.5 % 3-point shooter. So, the Los Angeles Clippers looking to force anyone but Jokic to beat them implemented a game plan; fade off Westbrook defensively and encourage him to shoot 3-pointers and it did not work out well for the Clippers Westbrook was quick to point this out during his postgame press conference mocking the Clippers game plan after a Nuggets "They (the Clippers) believed that was the best bet for taking me out of the series...I don't know what I shot for the series someone is going to have to tell me," Westbrook said of the Clippers forcing him to shoot 3-pointers I guess it didn't work out so well for them," Westbrook said mockingly Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) reacts after a three point score in the second quarter against the LA Clippers during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena Westbrook played in six of the seven games in this series against the Clippers He went 13-for-31 from 3-point range in the series the Nuggets and Westbrook have advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals where they'll take on another one of Westbrook's former teams who spent a season and a half with the Clippers before joining the Nuggets this year has faced criticism over his inconsistent game largely since leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019 he perfectly described what he brings from his play As much as people may not think — I'm very smart," Westbrook told reporters I think it's my ability to be a force of nature on the floor Russell Westbrook explains the Russell Westbrook experience PERFECTLY and it's why he's so fun to watch pic.twitter.com/ZAUF9U4RuY While Westbrook was not perfect in the Clippers-Nuggets series he did find a role that helped his new team win By more frequently hitting his three-point shot during the series he gave his team a slight edge that was advantageous in such a close series but he proved to still be a helpful piece to a championship contender crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.