Russell Westbrook was one of the main stories during and after the thrilling Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game on Tuesday.
The 2017 NBA MVP finished the night with 12 points, six rebounds, seven assists, one steal and two blocks. However, the final moments of the game turned a lot of heads and put Westbrook under the spotlight.
Russell Westbrook just cost Jokic a win on his 61-11-10 night
Down 138-137. 20 sec left. Westbrook misses foul shot.
Leading 139-138. 9 sec left.
Westbrook blows open transition layupLeading 139-138 with .1 seconds left. Westbrook fouls 3pt shooter.
Nuggets lose 140-139 🤯 pic.twitter.com/HmEz5iVlrz
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) April 2, 2025
He missed a late-game layup with almost no opposition that would have taken the Nuggets closer to the win. After that, he committed a shooting foul in the game’s final possession that allowed Minnesota to take the win from the free-throw line.
After the game was over, Michael Malone came to Westbrook’s defense after his gut-wrenching late-game sequence. The coach refused to blame Westbrook for the loss and put it on the entire team.
“I also know who Russell Westbrook is, and he’s a guy that hates to lose,” Malone told reporters (via DNVR Nuggets on X). “He may not want to hear any of that stuff, because he’s a perfectionist, and he’s a competitor.
“Knowing Russ the way I do, he’s probably going to put a lot of this on him, but we lost tonight, the Denver Nuggets. We, as a collective group, lost the game tonight. [It was] not one player.”
Michael Malone: “I know who Russell Westbrook is. He’s a guy that hates to lose…he’s a perfectionist.”
“Knowing Russ the way I do, he’s probably going to put a lot of this on him. But we lost tonight, the Denver Nuggets. Not one player.” pic.twitter.com/VyIhoX7mXJ
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 2, 2025
The late-game mistakes overshadowed Nikola Jokic’s 61-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist triple-double. The Serbian center refused to shame Westbrook’s decision and insisted he made the right call at the time.
“It was a layup. It was a two-on-one. I think it was the right decision,” Jokic said, per Basket News.
Westbrook has proven he was a solid addition to the Nuggets and the support he’s received after this game shows that the team is still high on the veteran point guard.