On Friday night, the Brooklyn Nets visited the Mile High City to take on the Denver Nuggets. Although largely anticipated as a one-sided game, with Denver expected to dominate, the night turned historic for the NBA.
Nikola Jokic delivered a masterclass performance, tallying 35 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, and four steals while shooting 14-of-21. This marked his league-leading 15th triple-double of the season. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook also shone, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Teammates achieving triple-doubles in the same game isn’t unheard of, but this season marks the second instance of Jokic and Westbrook achieving this feat together. It’s a first in NBA history for teammates to do this multiple times in a season.
Since joining the Nuggets, Westbrook has found a fresh start, providing Denver with much-needed energy as they aim for championship contention.
Westbrook’s Role in Denver’s Championship AspirationsThe Nuggets, fresh off their 2023 NBA Championship win, began the 2024 season with title hopes. However, struggles with depth became apparent. After 21 games, Denver held an 11-10 record and sat ninth in the West.
Consistency eluded much of the roster beyond Jokic, Michael Porter Jr., and Christian Braun. Jamal Murray dealt with inconsistency, Aaron Gordon battled injuries, and the young bench struggled.
Westbrook’s emergence in the starting lineup revitalized the team. Over the last 17 games, he’s averaged 15.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 7.5 assists on efficient shooting splits (.540/.279/.608). The Nuggets, now 23-15, have gone 12-5 in this stretch and boast an 11-2 record with Westbrook starting.
With Denver just 2.5 games behind the second seed and Oklahoma City Thunder dominating, Westbrook’s resurgence is crucial. His ability to complement Jokic, one of the league’s most unique players, highlights flashes of his MVP form.
If Murray regains peak performance and the rest of the team remains healthy, Westbrook could be a decisive factor in Denver’s pursuit of another title.