Russell Westbrook silenced the doubters on Wednesday after he had the most points for the Denver Nuggets against the San Antonio Spurs. While most of the key players for the Nuggets took the night off, Westbrook did most of the work with his 30 points, 11 rebounds, six rebounds and three steals. However, that wasn’t enough for Denver to overcome their competition and had a 113-106 defeat.
The Nuggets are coming off a second night of a back-to-back, which both ended in losses. Their first game was on Tuesday, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Denver was led by Nikola Jokic, who had 61 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. However, that wasn’t enough and the team had a 140-139 double overtime loss.
One player who received most of the criticism for the Nuggets’ loss against the Wolves was Westbrook.
The 2017 MVP came off the bench and had 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Defensively he helped the team with his lone steal and two blocks. While he did well in other areas on the floor, his shooting performance was what caught the attention of most critics.
Longtime NBA analyst Nick Wright had an issue with Westbrook’s inconsistent shooting and blasted him on “First Things First.”
“We tried to warn you, Denver, and in the very beginning, a whole lot of chirping. Hm, why couldn’t LeBron make it work the way Joker can? A whole lot of man, one of the things that makes Joker so special is his ability to… You know, Russ, you got him for the minimum, the forgotten guy. Look, the answer is no, you can’t fix them,” Wright said. “What I’m telling you is he will be a net negative on winning playoff games. I am ready to say that.”
“We tried to warn you, Denver… He has not been able to contribute to winning basketball in nearly a decade.”@getnickwright breaks down Russell Westbrook’s time in the NBA: pic.twitter.com/UK1TZEu04T
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 2, 2025
Wright went on his rant by saying Westbrook has not contributed to winning basketball in over a decade.
Denver Nuggets head coach backs up Westbrook after their Minnesota defeat
Westbrook has always been subject to criticism his entire career. With every error he makes on the floor, critics have been vocal in calling him out. Fortunately for the nine-time All-Star, there have been a few who have stood alongside him to defend.
After their heartbreaking loss against the Wolves, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was among one of the many who defended Westbrook.
“(Westbrook is) a guy that hates to lose. …He’s a perfectionist and he’s a competitor,” Malone said. “And knowing Russ the way I do, he’s probably gonna put a lot of this on him. But we lost tonight. The Denver Nuggets. We, as a collective group, lost that game tonight. Not one player. He’s a pro. He’s a warrior. He’s a tough kid. And I think he knows that everybody in that locker room has got his back.”
The Nuggets have a chance to bounce back after their loss against San Antonio on Friday, against the red-hot Golden State Warriors.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
