Russell Westbrook made a huge impact coming off the bench in the Denver Nuggets' 112-110 Game 1 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
Westbrook took fans on a rollercoaster ride, though, especially in the fourth quarter and during overtime.
With about 25 seconds left of regulation, Westbrook drained a monster three-pointer to give the Nuggets a two-point lead at the time. James Harden answered his shot with a jumper to tie the game at 98. Westbrook ended up with the ball again in the last four seconds, but he failed to get a shot up, forcing the game into overtime.
Westbrook first made fans jump to their feet, then frustrated them by not hitting a game winner.
HUGE THREE FOR RUSSELL WESTBROOK 🔥
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 19, 2025
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/jv6ssLELBs
OVERTIME IN CLIPPERS-NUGGETS GAME 1 ON ESPN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mWDbG1odeU
— ESPN (@espn) April 19, 2025
In the end, though, Nuggets fans can thank Westbrook for his efforts during the last seconds of overtime. With almost 11 seconds left, the Clippers were trying to inbound the ball to attempt to tie the game up with a three-pointer. Westbrook blocked Harden during the inbound pass, and the ball went out of bounds to cause a turnover. Westbrook was understandably really hyped up after this game-defining defensive play.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK FORCES THE TURNOVER!!
— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2025
NUGGETS WIN GAME 1 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nWOpRyxShg
The Clippers then fouled Aaron Gordon, who made both shots and gave the Nuggets a five-point lead with 10 seconds left. Los Angeles was able to hit a three-pointer, but it wasn't enough to win.
Westbrook finished Game 1 with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in 34 minutes played. We'll see what kind of journey Westbrook takes fans on during Monday's Game 2 vs. the Clippers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Russell Westbrook Took Nuggets Fans on a Rollercoaster During Game 1 Win Over Clippers.
