2 fatal Russell Westbrook errors that cost Nikola Jokic, Nuggets win after 61-point game
Yesterday at 04:06 AM
The Tuesday night clash between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves felt like a playoff game throughout its duration, and for good reason. Not only have these two teams built up a bit of a rivalry from their playoff series last year, they are also fighting for positioning in the West standings with only a few weeks to go before the postseason. So it must have been devastating for the Nuggets to take a 140-139 double overtime loss against the Timberwolves in the way that they did — with Russell Westbrook not exactly covering himself in glory late in the second extra period.
Westbrook, who has been a welcome presence for the Nuggets all season long, will shoulder a ton of the blame for Denver’s loss despite Nikola Jokic’s bonkers game that had him drop 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a dominant effort. The last minute of the second overtime is something Westbrook and the Nuggets would rather forget.
With around 13 seconds left and the Nuggets up by one, 139-138, Westbrook stole the ball on a bad pass from Anthony Edwards, setting up a two-on-one fastbreak with him and Christian Braun motoring down the court. Braun, after receiving the pass from Westbrook, drew the defense of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, forcing him to pass the ball back to Westbrook. The 2017 NBA MVP then proceeded to leave his layup short, opening the door for Minnesota to win the game on a mere two-pointer.
Westbrook then compounded matters after getting back on defense. Edwards drew the attention of the Nuggets defense and kicked it out to Alexander-Walker, whom the Nuggets guard proceeded to foul on a reckless close out on a three-point shot. The Timberwolves guard made two free throws and intentionally missed the third with 0.1 left on the clock — sending the Nuggets tail-spinning all the way to defeat.
The final sequence in the 2nd OT is absolute CINEMA pic.twitter.com/ANNf40DJUL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 2, 2025
The veteran Nuggets guard may want to stay off social media for the next few days.
Russell Westbrook and the Nuggets fall in major heartbreaker
Losing is part of life in the NBA, or in professional sports for that matter. Even the greatest winners in sports know the sting of defeat. But for Russell Westbrook and the Nuggets, losing in the manner they did will leave an imprint that they will remember many, many years from now.
In addition to all of Westbrook’s blunders that were already mentioned, the Nuggets guard also missed a free throw with 20.1 seconds left that could have given Denver the lead. Now, Nikola Jokic also missed a crucial free throw on their subsequent possession, but Jokic has to be exempt from any kind of blame for tonight after he put up 61 points.
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