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If there's only one person on the Denver Nuggets who deserves to be mad at Russell Westbrook for his poor decision-making in a 140-139 double overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it's the iconic Nikola Jokic.
Against the Nuggets' biggest rival, the all-time great and reigning NBA MVP played arguably the finest game of his career, turning in a legendary 61-point triple-double: the most points in any triple-double in league history. He did this while logging 53 total minutes and playing 34 consecutive minutes from the start of the second half through the end of the game. Oh, and Jokic managed to do all of this without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, two of Denver's four best players. Talk about an ironman performance while literally putting your team on your back.
But when push came to shove, Westbrook let the heat of the NBA's game of the year so far get to him.
In the closing moments alone, Westbrook smoked an open layup after inexplicably pushing the ball up the floor following a steal. Then, right after, he fouled a 3-point shooter to cement one of the most gut-wrenching losses the Jokic Nuggets have ever experienced.
Again, if Jokic wanted to throw Westbrook under the bus, he could've done so without anyone batting an eyelash. He had every right to be openly frustrated. But that's not how Jokic is wired as a leader.
Instead, he defended his future Hall of Fame teammate without hesitation and without a hint of anger:
There is no reason to think Jokic is just paying empty lip service here. That's not his style. He has never gotten too high or low after Denver wins or losses. This is the same guy who famously couldn't wait to go home to Serbia right after winning his first NBA title in 2023, after all. Jokic understands that wild, unpredictable things happen in a chaotic game like basketball all the time. Unfortunately, you're not always going to be on the right, winning side of this pendulum.
It's why he loves the game. It's why we love the game.
To say that Westbrook's disastrous closing sequence was the sole reason Denver lost this epic battle with the Timberwolves is just so reductive. For one, Westbrook actually passed to Christian Braun before that last layup attempt. Braun could've also pulled the ball back. They both made a rash decision with their adrenaline running high, but Westbrook gets the spotlight because he ultimately took a shot. For another, as remarkable as Jokic was, he also bricked a few late free throws that would've changed the complexion of the game. Never mind that defensively-challenged Denver decided to double-team Anthony Edwards all night, a strategy that isn't sustainable energy-wise over 58 minutes of play when you don't have elite point-of-attack defenders.
Yes, the Nuggets had a win in hand after pushing all their chips in to try and avoid a regular-season sweep at the hands of Minnesota. And yes, Westbrook's final two major moments are two of the worst you'll ever see back-to-back in a clutch NBA situation. No one's denying that. But the Nuggets and Jokic genuinely lost this one as a team, and they know it.
Saying otherwise is ignoring the tenuous reality of basketball, the ultimate free-flowing sport.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nikola Jokic had classy defense of Russell Westbrook after Timberwolves implosion
Continue reading...
Against the Nuggets' biggest rival, the all-time great and reigning NBA MVP played arguably the finest game of his career, turning in a legendary 61-point triple-double: the most points in any triple-double in league history. He did this while logging 53 total minutes and playing 34 consecutive minutes from the start of the second half through the end of the game. Oh, and Jokic managed to do all of this without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, two of Denver's four best players. Talk about an ironman performance while literally putting your team on your back.
But when push came to shove, Westbrook let the heat of the NBA's game of the year so far get to him.
In the closing moments alone, Westbrook smoked an open layup after inexplicably pushing the ball up the floor following a steal. Then, right after, he fouled a 3-point shooter to cement one of the most gut-wrenching losses the Jokic Nuggets have ever experienced.
Again, if Jokic wanted to throw Westbrook under the bus, he could've done so without anyone batting an eyelash. He had every right to be openly frustrated. But that's not how Jokic is wired as a leader.
Instead, he defended his future Hall of Fame teammate without hesitation and without a hint of anger:
There is no reason to think Jokic is just paying empty lip service here. That's not his style. He has never gotten too high or low after Denver wins or losses. This is the same guy who famously couldn't wait to go home to Serbia right after winning his first NBA title in 2023, after all. Jokic understands that wild, unpredictable things happen in a chaotic game like basketball all the time. Unfortunately, you're not always going to be on the right, winning side of this pendulum.
It's why he loves the game. It's why we love the game.
To say that Westbrook's disastrous closing sequence was the sole reason Denver lost this epic battle with the Timberwolves is just so reductive. For one, Westbrook actually passed to Christian Braun before that last layup attempt. Braun could've also pulled the ball back. They both made a rash decision with their adrenaline running high, but Westbrook gets the spotlight because he ultimately took a shot. For another, as remarkable as Jokic was, he also bricked a few late free throws that would've changed the complexion of the game. Never mind that defensively-challenged Denver decided to double-team Anthony Edwards all night, a strategy that isn't sustainable energy-wise over 58 minutes of play when you don't have elite point-of-attack defenders.
Yes, the Nuggets had a win in hand after pushing all their chips in to try and avoid a regular-season sweep at the hands of Minnesota. And yes, Westbrook's final two major moments are two of the worst you'll ever see back-to-back in a clutch NBA situation. No one's denying that. But the Nuggets and Jokic genuinely lost this one as a team, and they know it.
Saying otherwise is ignoring the tenuous reality of basketball, the ultimate free-flowing sport.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nikola Jokic had classy defense of Russell Westbrook after Timberwolves implosion
Continue reading...
