Russell Westbrook gives explicit 'job' description after helping Nuggets to overtime playoff win

Russell Westbrook whitethorn not beryllium his triple-double machine, MVP aforesaid anymore, but connected Saturday night, helium turned backmost the clock.

Westbrook deed a cardinal 3-pointer precocious successful regularisation and made the game-saving play with 10 seconds near successful overtime erstwhile helium forced a turnover to springiness the Denver Nuggets a 112-110 triumph successful Game 1 of the archetypal circular of the playoffs against his erstwhile Los Angeles Clippers.

Westbrook has done conscionable astir everything determination is to bash for a Hall of Fame resume – the 36-year-old is simply a nine-time All-Star, MVP, two-time scoring champ, three-time assistance leader, and averaged a triple-double 4 times.

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Denver Nuggets defender Russell Westbrook (4) reacts to his three-point handbasket successful the 4th fourth against the LA Clippers astatine Ball Arena.  (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

Except triumph a title.

But, his mentality, and self-proclaimed occupation description, could assistance him cheque disconnected that last box.

"My occupation is to, excuse my language, f--k s--t up," helium said aft the contest.

"That's who helium is," MVP contender Nikola Jokic said aft watching Westbrook deed an uncontested country 3-pointer to springiness Denver a two-point pb precocious successful regularisation and past knocking the inbounds walk distant from — and disconnected of — erstwhile teammate James Harden with 9.6 seconds near successful overtime to assistance seal Denver's triumph implicit the Los Angeles Clippers.

Denver Nuggets defender Russell Westbrook (4) reacts pursuing his antiaircraft turnover successful overtime against the LA Clippers astatine Ball Arena.  (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

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"Russ is Russ," interim manager David Adelman said aft improving to 4-0. "Defensively, he's perfectly incredible. He was playing escaped information retired there. I thought a batch of the reasons wherefore the turnovers happened, adjacent if it wasn't him forcing it, (was) conscionable the mode helium was roaming astir and impacting the game.

"And past offensively ... helium attacked," Adelman said. "We possibly could person pulled it retired and executed. But that's what Russ does. I don't deliberation he's going to alteration aft 17 years. If helium sees idiosyncratic successful beforehand of him 1-on-1, he's going to attack. And past helium made an tremendous 3."

Jokic scored 29 points and finished 1 rebound shy of a triple-double. Aaron Gordon added 25 points and Jamal Murray 21 arsenic the Nuggets overcame a 15-point first-half shortage to powerfulness past the hottest squad entering the playoffs.

The No. 5 effect Clippers' nonaccomplishment was their archetypal since March 30 astatine Cleveland. They rolled into the playoffs having won 18 of 21, including their past eight.

Russell Westbrook #4 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates during the crippled against the LA Clippers during Round One Game One of the 2025 NBA Playoffs connected April 19, 2025 astatine Ball Arena successful Denver, Colorado. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Game 2 is Monday nighttime backmost successful Denver, who made the shocking determination of firing Michael Malone little than 2 years aft winning a title, and a week earlier the playoffs began.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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