As expected, the Hyde side of Russell Westbrook made a number of appearances just when the Nuggets would have benefited from prudence on Sunday. For instance, he saw fit to attack a double team with the time winding down in regulation when the much better option would have been to give the ball back to an open Nicola Jokic. And then, with about a minute and a half left in overtime, he took a heavily contested shot in the paint after an offensive rebound; never mind that they were then leading by three and in prime position to milk the clock for a superior stab at the basket.
In the aftermath, interim head coach David Adelman acknowledged Westbrook’s capacity to impact matches both ways. “Russ is Russ… Offensively, a couple of times I thought he attacked, maybe we could have pulled it out and executed. But that’s what Russ does. He’s going to play in attack mode. I don’t think he’s going to change after 17 years.” And on Sunday, he made his fair share of contributions to help the Nuggets claim Game One of their first-round playoff series versus the Clippers. His was the corner three that gave them the lead in the final minute of regulation — and, yes, that enabled them to survive his last-second gaffe. And his was the defensive gem that forced a turnover with 9.1 ticks left in the extra period to clinch the win.
For those on the outside looking in, Westbrook’s stat line told much of the story: 15 points (on five-of-17 shooting from the field) along with eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 34 minutes of action. And to argue that he was all over the court, literally and figuratively, would be to understate the obvious. He is best described as a human roller-coaster ride, one that has had several franchises, including the Clippers, surrender in frustration. On Sunday, the latter only too willingly gave him space to take jump shots from the perimeter, what with simple mathematics supporting the contest-wide gamble.
Perhaps the Nuggets would themselves be tempted to abandon the Westbrook experiment if armed with a choice. As things stand, they have none in light of their shallow bench and the evident regression of starter Michael Porter Jr. In other words, they’re banking on Jokic to get a fellow Most Valuable Player awardee to toe the line — at least enough to deem him a net positive. On Sunday, the risk paid off. It’s anybody’s guess as to whether it will do so throughout the postseason.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
