The undermanned Denver Nuggets entered their Wednesday night contest as the odds-on underdog as they faced one of the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the NBA heading into the night — the Oklahoma City Thunder. But never tell Russell Westbrook the odds. Buoyed by another triple-double from Nikola Jokic and a season-best 29-point night from Westbrook, the Nuggets came all the way back from 16 down to take a 124-122 win, dealing the Thunder its first loss of the season.
There was plenty of concern surrounding Westbrook and his ability to contribute for the Nuggets amid his rough start to the season. But pressed into starting duties amid Jamal Murray’s recovery from a head injury, the 2017 NBA MVP has been playing his heart out — mirroring the competitive drive that he so proudly shares with head coach Michael Malone.
“We’re both a little psycho in the head a little bit. We’ve learned that from the get-go, which is why we get along,” Westbrook said in his postgame presser, via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports.
Both Westbrook and Malone did show off their “psycho” side on Wednesday night. Westbrook always plays with his heart on his sleeve, and he was able to get himself into a rhythm, attacking the Thunder at the rim on multiple occasions and finishing with conviction — all while being his usual disruptive self on the defensive end.
Meanwhile, Malone almost got himself ejected when the Thunder were building a huge lead over the Nuggets in the second half. He stormed the officials in frustration after a no-call on a Jokic shot attempt, and this seemed to light a fire underneath Denver.
In a league where nearly everyone is uber-competitive, it’s hard to stand out. But Westbrook and Malone do. And their partnership feels like a match made in heaven, and the Nuggets have shaken off an uninspiring start to the year to move to 5-3, although their schedule over the next month or so will be a major test of their staying power.
Russell Westbrook fills in nicely as the Nuggets’ starting point guard
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Russell Westbrook may no longer be the player he once was, but one would be mistaken if they were to think that he could no longer contribute at a high enough level to warrant huge minutes. When Westbrook has it going, his team takes after his energy, and the Nuggets definitely fed off his will to win that simply won’t be denied on Wednesday night.
Westbrook has caught flak for his poor shot selection and subpar finishing at the basket in recent seasons, but these problems were not on display in the Nuggets’ win over the Thunder. He was mostly letting the offense come to him, and he’s been moving off the ball more than ever — playing his part alongside Nikola Jokic incredibly well.
In addition to scoring a season-high 29 points, Westbrook added six rebounds and six assists to go along with a steal. He has done more than his fair share in keeping the Nuggets afloat as they deal with injury woes to Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.