It is normal to make mistakes at work. For Russell Westbrook, it is a priority.
“My job, excuse my language,” Westbrook explained, “is to (bleep) stuff up.”
The only question is whether he does it for the Nuggets or Clippers.
Denver’s entertaining cagematch with the Los Angeles Clippers ended with a 112-110 overtime victory, a nervy, exhausting display of resilience and overcoming obstacles: the playoff debut of interim coach David Adelman, the pressure of erasing a 15-point deficit, and Westbrook, who plays basketball like an overcaffeinated Energizer Bunny.
Saturday, the Nuggets almost lost because of him. And they would have never won without him.
The idea of the Nuggets claiming three more games in this series with Michael Porter Jr. scoring three points — on Denver’s first basket, no less — is foolish. They need him even as he shows why it will be so difficult to trade him.
But it was obvious early, Porter was disconnected. He looked timid from beyond the arc and lost defensively. Adelman had no choice.
All aboard the Russell Roller Coaster. Buckle up.
The Clippers dared him to beat them.
He obliged, scoring the Nuggets’ final seven points in regulation. He also failed to get a shot off as time expired.
He exerted his will on offensive rebounds. But he attempted an ill-advised driving layup in overtime with 13 seconds left when he should have soaked more off the shot clock (the last thing Denver needed was Westbrook at the foul line as a 66.1 % shooter protecting a 108-107 lead).
And oh yeah, he undercut Clippers star James Harden on an inbounds play with 10 seconds left, causing a turnover because he “knew the play,” admitted Westbrook, citing his time with the Clippers last season.
He was there when the Nuggets needed him. Agent Chaos became Agent Calm. At least in Game 1.
“He made some big plays,” Nikola Jokic said. “That’s who he is.”
But nobody raises the blood pressure of Nuggets Nation like him. He carries passengers through sharp curves and steep inclines, and never taps the brakes. He makes it look easy. He makes us all queasy. Sometimes in the same possession.
“Russ is Russ,” Adelman said. “Defensively, he was absolutely incredible. I thought a lot of the reason that the turnovers happened — even if he wasn’t forcing them — was just the way he was roaming around and impacting the game. There were a couple of times he attacked when I thought he could have pulled the ball out. But if he sees someone in front of him, guarding one one-on-one, he’s going to attack. I don’t think he’s going to change after 17 years.”
With the game slipping through the Nuggets’ fingers, Westbrook entered in the second quarter. He provided energy and defensive intensity, creating trouble as the equivalent of a safety on the low block.
“They have dynamic guys, great cutters, guys who catch lobs,” Westbrook said.
He has to communicate and execute. And if he is going to log 34 minutes as a 36-year-old, as he did Saturday, he must provide offense to ease the pressure on Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
He nailed a 3-pointer during the Nuggets’ 13-2 run to close the first half, a stretch that really won the game if we are being honest. It was more like firing a fastball through the rim, but, well, it went in.
“A lot of people emphasize the made and missed shots. But in the playoffs, all you have to do is win the (bleep) game,” said Westbrook, who finished 5 of 17 from the floor. “I don’t care how you do it.”
That Jokic trusts him remains fascinating. No one would have blamed him for reaching a crisis of faith after the final 14 seconds of a loss to Minnesota, a finish that helped accelerate coach Michael Malone’s firing.
Westbrook missed a layup and fouled on a 3-pointer — a maddening display that put fans’ hearts and the playoff seed in a blender. But he has settled down under Adelman, who is committed to playing the “best players” at the end of the games, not favorites.
Westbrook belonged in that group down the stretch. For every clank, there was a board. For every missed shot, there was a defensive stop.
The former MVP knows the Clippers don’t believe he can beat them. There is a reason they leave him open.
Does that make it more personal?
“Not until we win the series and then we can talk about that if we take care of business,” Westbrook said. “That’s a tough team over there. We didn’t do anything special. We won one game on our home court.”
Westbrook was shimmering in the locker room. His outfit impossible to miss, like the man himself.
It looked like it was platinum. “No,” Westbrook corrected, “it is silver.”
His performance was pure gold.
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Originally Published: April 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM MDT
