The LA Clippers, facing elimination in Game 6, pulled off a gritty 111–105 win against the Denver Nuggets to force a Game 7. The trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Russell Westbrook failed to capitalize on the strong start and ended up being dominated by the Clippers in the second half.
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Westbrook, who had a pretty solid game in the first three quarters, failed to make a statement when his team needed it the most. This included a missed open layup and a few other terrible sequences.
With under three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, James Harden missed a shot at his end. Jokic grabbed the rebound and sent the ball across to the court, where Westbrook was open. Shockingly, the 36-year-old missed the open layup, failing to cut the lead down to four points.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK MISSES THE OPEN LAYUP
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) May 2, 2025
He made another blunder when he missed a dunk with no defenders around him. Westbrook’s missed sequences were one of the reasons why the Nuggets couldn’t win Game 6. There was another sequence where Westbrook went for a layup but was blocked by Nicolas Batum.
WESTBROOK 360 DUNK pic.twitter.com/8CeTPsmWNF
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) May 2, 2025
Some fans believe that Westbrook got lucky because of the block because his layup wasn’t going in. The fan wrote, “I am not kidding, I think Westbrook was about to miss this layup as well if he hadn’t if been blocked.” Looking at the footage, it does seem like he was about to miss again as the ball touched the outer side of the rim and wasn’t positioned well enough to go in. Fortunately for Westbrook, it’ll count as a blocked shot.
I am not kidding, I think Westbrook was about to miss this layup as well if he hadn’t of been blocked pic.twitter.com/96fzoA07z5
— K (@Kgformvp211) May 2, 2025
His speed and athleticism have played a huge role in taking his career to the next level. However, the sheer speed with which he attacks the rim sometimes leads to rushed finishes, even when the shot seems wide open. In this case, the pressure of the moment and his tendency to push the tempo might have played a role in what should’ve been an easy bucket.
In six games in this series, Russell Westbrook is averaging 13.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3 assists. The two teams will meet for the final time this season for Game 7 at the Ball Arena on Saturday.
