Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Scores 21 points in return
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Westbrook registered 21 points (8-15 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound and one assist across 25 minutes during Tuesday's 131-115 win over the Clippers in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Westbrook returned from a one-game absence as a result of a foot injury, scoring 21 points as Denver blew out Los Angeles. Despite the strong offensive showing, Westbrook was noticeably quiet in other areas, something of an anomaly given his tendency to contribute across the board. Look for Westbrook to build on this performance when the two teams meet again Thursday.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Set to play in Game 5
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Westbrook (foot) is available for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Clippers.
Westbrook has been upgraded from questionable to available Tuesday after missing Game 4 due to left foot inflammation. Westbrook has averaged 10.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 22.0 minutes across his three appearances in the playoffs so far this season.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Iffy for Tuesday
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Westbrook (foot) is questionable for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Clippers.
The veteran guard continues to nurse left foot inflammation, which leaves his status uncertain for Tuesday after sitting out Saturday's Game 4 against Los Angeles. The Nuggets would lean heavily on Christian Braun if Westbrook needs to miss another contest, and Peyton Watson would pick up a few extra minutes off the bench in that case.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Won't play Saturday
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Westbrook (foot) is out for Saturday's Game 4 against the Clippers, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Westbrook didn't play in the second half of Thursday's Game 3 loss to the Clippers due to left foot inflammation, and the veteran guard will end up missing Saturday's contest. His next chance to play will come Tuesday in Game 5, and the likes of Jalen Pickett and Julian Strawther could see expanded roles off the bench with Westbrook out.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Questionable for Saturday
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Westbrook (foot) is listed questionable Saturday for Game 4 of the Nuggets' first-round playoff matchup with the Clippers, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports.
Westbrook didn't play in the second half of Thursday's Game 3 loss to the Clippers due to left foot inflammation and is in jeopardy of missing Game 4. If the veteran guard is sidelined Saturday, Jalen Pickett and Julian Strawther could see expanded roles off the bench.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Won't return Thursday
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Westbrook (foot) won't return for the second half of Thursday's Game 3 matchup with the Clippers, Katy Winge of Altitude Sports reports.
Westbrook recorded three points (1-5 FG, 1-5 3Pt), one assist and one rebound across nine minutes in the first half before leaving with left foot inflammation. With Westbrook shut down for the rest of the night, Jalen Pickett could serve as the primary backup option at point guard when Jamal Murray is off the floor.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Questionable to return Thursday
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Westbrook is questionable to return during Thursday's Game 3 against the Clippers due to left foot inflammation.
The foot injury is a new concern for Westbrook, who played nine minutes in the first half. If the veteran guard is unable to return, Jalen Pickett could see a slight bump in minutes the rest of the way.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Another mixed bag in Game 2 loss
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Westbrook racked up 14 points (5-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 23 minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to the Clippers in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Westbrook continues to serve up a mixed bag when it comes to production, reflective of what he has done for the Nuggets throughout the season. Despite coming off the bench, he has closed in both games of the playoffs thus far, albeit replacing different players. The Nuggets will now need to win at least one game in Los Angeles should they hope to extend their season beyond round one.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Bounces back off bench
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Westbrook provided 16 points (6-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes during Sunday's 125-120 loss to the Pacers.
Westbrook's final stat line didn't help Denver secure the victory, but there's no question this was a bounce-back effort for the veteran floor general, who had been heavily criticized in recent games. Despite the recent criticism and a few subpar performances, Westbrook is averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game over his last five outings, which all came with Jamal Murray (hamstring) sidelined.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Not starting Friday
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Westbrook is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Warriors.
The Nuggets rested their entire starting unit against the Spurs on Wednesday but will be close to full strength for this contest, so Westbrook will continue playing with the second unit. The move is a bit puzzling since Jamal Murray (hamstring) won't be available, but it seems head coach Michael Malone likes what he sees from Westbrook in the second unit. Christian Braun is starting at the de-facto point guard role for this matchup.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Vintage performance in start
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Westbrook logged 30 points (11-25 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals over 40 minutes during Wednesday's 113-106 loss to the Spurs.
It was a vintage performance in the starting lineup by the nine-time All-Star, who led the Nuggets in both points and steals Wednesday. Jamal Murray is still nursing a hamstring injury, so Westbrook could be in line to make additional starts during the final week of the regular season. Over his last nine games in the first unit, Westbrook has averaged 18.4 points, 7.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.2 three-pointers in 35.0 minutes.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Will start vs. San Antonio
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Westbrook will be in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.
Westbrook will be in the starting lineup for the Nuggets on Wednesday, which will be his 36th start of the 2024-25 campaign. Denver ruled out several players for this game against San Antonio, with Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Christian Braun (foot) among those sidelined. The one-time NBA MVP is averaging 14.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor and 34.1 percent from deep as a starter for Denver.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Double-double from second unit
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Westbrook accumulated 14 points (5-14 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, 10 assists and one steal over 26 minutes off the bench during Monday's 129-119 loss to the Bulls.
The double-double was Westbrook's 12th of the season. The veteran guard has bounced between the first and second units in March but stayed productive regardless of his role, scoring in double digits in nine straight games (six starts) while averaging 16.0 points, 7.3 assists, 5.1 boards, 1.9 threes and 1.7 steals.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Slotted to bench
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Westbrook will come off the bench during Sunday's game against the Rockets, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports.
Westbrook will move to the bench Sunday after starting the last four games, and he'll be replaced by veteran big man DeAndre Jordan in the first unit. In his last three games in a reserve role, Westbrook has averaged 11.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 28.3 minutes per contest.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Hits for 18 in Portland
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Westbrook accumulated 18 points (6-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-8 FT), four rebounds, four assists and three steals in 30 minutes during Friday's 128-109 loss to the Trail Blazers.
The veteran guard added to an impressively consistent March that has seen him score in double digits in 10 of 11 games (eight starts) while recording at least one steal in nine of 11. On the month, Westbrook is averaging 15.5 points, 6.6 assists, 5.5 boards, 2.0 threes and 1.6 steals in 32.7 minutes a contest. That elevated workload could be scaled back if Julian Strawther (knee) is able to return before the end of the regular season, but time is running out for the second-year wing to get back into the rotation.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Struggles with shot in loss
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Westbrook closed Wednesday's 120-108 loss to the Lakers with 12 points (4-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-5 FT), four rebounds, nine assists and two steals in 29 minutes.
The depleted Nuggets desperately needed production from Westbrook with Jamal Murray (ankle) and Nikola Jokic (elbow) out, but he was unable to rise to the occasion. While Westbrook logged nine assists, his scoring regressed significantly. Even a standout game from the veteran might not have mattered, as the Lakers blew the Nuggets out in the first quarter and never looked back. Looking into the future, Westbrook could be the odd man out of the lineup once the team returns to full health, as Aaron Gordon's recent success will place him alongside Jokic. The combo of Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter, Gordon and Jokic would put Westbrook back into cleanup duty. However, he'll still see plenty of minutes if the Nuggets take a cautious approach with the injured playmakers.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Shines with triple-double in win
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Westbrook posted 12 points (5-18 FG, 2-9 3Pt), 12 rebounds, 16 assists, two blocks and three steals over 42 minutes during Monday's 114-105 win over the Warriors.
Westbrook took over at point guard for Jamal Murray (ankle) and posted his fourth triple-double of the season. Although the veteran has been the odd man out of the first unit when the team is fully healthy, the recent tandem of Westbrook and Murray has proven to be a successful formula for the Nuggets. His potential is uncapped when he receives first-unit minutes, but Westbrook's only chance of getting them consistently is a demotion for Christian Braun (foot), which is unlikely.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Double-doubles in start Saturday
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Westbrook accumulated 22 points (9-19 FG, 4-8 3Pt), 11 assists, four rebounds and one steal in 37 minutes during Saturday's 126-123 loss to the Wizards.
The veteran point guard received the starting nod due to Aaron Gordon (calf) being sidelined in the second night of a back-to-back set. Westbrook finished as the club's third-leading scorer and recorded a game-high 11 assists en route to his 10th double-double on the season. The 36-year-old will likely continue to join the starting five whenever Gordon is sidelined due to injury management. Westbrook has made 32 starts this season, during which he has averaged 14.9 points, 6.8 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals across 31.2 minutes per game.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Starting Saturday vs. WAS
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Westbrook is in the Nuggets' starting lineup against the Wizards on Saturday.
Westbrook will make his 32nd start of the season Saturday (and fifth since the beginning of March) due to the absence of Aaron Gordon (calf). Westbrook has averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 0.9 steals over 28.4 minutes per game since the All-Star break.
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Nuggets' Russell Westbrook: Coming off bench against Lakers
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Westbrook will come off the bench in Friday's game against the Lakers.
Aaron Gordon (calf) is good to go Friday, pushing Westbrook into a reserve role. The veteran guard has averaged 12.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks in 28.5 minutes across 11 games since the All-Star break.
