‘Picked the wrong person’: Nuggets’ Westbrook relishes revenge vs. Clippers
There might not be a better form of payback than sending your former squad packing in the playoffs. Russell Westbrook had himself a revenge game for the ages on Saturday night, helping the Denver Nuggets dismantle the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round series and took the time to soak it all in. After an emotional and energetic performance on the hardwood, Westbrook fired shots at his former team, saying, “picked the wrong person, didn’t they?” as he went back to the locker room, according to Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette. Perhaps more known for the grudge he held on the Lakers after spending the better part of two seasons with the team, Westbrook clearly had a bone to pick with the other L.A. team after they traded him to the Utah Jazz in the off-season. The Clippers parted ways with the former NBA MVP last summer, acquiring guard Kris Dunn in the swap. After the Jazz promptly waived him, he joined the Nuggets on a multi-year deal and found a solid role as a tough energy guy alongside stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. “I do think my job for this team is to bring my energy, bring my competitive spirit, nature, whatever that may be,” Westbrook told reporters after the win. “And I think I told you all this after game one, excuse my language for my kids at home, but to go in and (expletive) (expletive) up. And that’s what I did.” Though he had an up-and-down regular season, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists, he made some serious noise over the course of the Nuggets’ seven-game series, playing some hard-nosed defence and shooting 40.7 per cent from three-point range. He capped it off with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals off the bench in Game 7 to put the Clippers to rest. “My ability to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on,” he said. “So whatever that looks like — it may be a turnover, it may be a missed shot, but it may be a steal, maybe a dunk, maybe a missed three, maybe a made three. It’s gonna be all of that, it’s going to be everything, so you just take it. Take it for how it comes and whatever happens, you go with it. I’ve always been like that. As long as I leave it on the floor.” He also threw down some emphatic dunks, showing off the athleticism and emotion that made him a superstar in the NBA for so many years — including a highlight-of-the-night worthy transition slam that ended in a technical foul for the 36-year-old. After the slam, he swung back and forth on the rim, jumped off, gave himself a tech and fired up the Ball Arena crowd by shouting “send their asses home.” That he did. He’s got another series against the former team coming up next, as the Nuggets booked a series against the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2. Though there may not be as much of a grudge, don’t expect Westbrook to play with less energy. “I always got love for everybody there. The people, the fans, and I know it’s mutual,” Westbrook said of the upcoming series. “But they also know the reason why they do love me is because I compete at a high level, and I’m gonna do that every night. So that’s all I can do, is go out there and be myself and compete.” More from Sportsnet Nuggets dominate Clippers in Game 7, book ticket to second round Adelman calls Jokic’s lack of free throws ‘absolutely crazy’ after Nuggets’ Game 6 loss
There might not be a better form of payback than sending your former squad packing in the playoffs.
Russell Westbrook had himself a revenge game for the ages on Saturday night, helping the Denver Nuggets dismantle the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round series and took the time to soak it all in.
After an emotional and energetic performance on the hardwood, Westbrook fired shots at his former team, saying, “picked the wrong person, didn’t they?” as he went back to the locker room, according to Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette.
Perhaps more known for the grudge he held on the Lakers after spending the better part of two seasons with the team, Westbrook clearly had a bone to pick with the other L.A. team after they traded him to the Utah Jazz in the off-season.
The Clippers parted ways with the former NBA MVP last summer, acquiring guard Kris Dunn in the swap. After the Jazz promptly waived him, he joined the Nuggets on a multi-year deal and found a solid role as a tough energy guy alongside stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
“I do think my job for this team is to bring my energy, bring my competitive spirit, nature, whatever that may be,” Westbrook told reporters after the win. “And I think I told you all this after game one, excuse my language for my kids at home, but to go in and (expletive) (expletive) up. And that’s what I did.”
Though he had an up-and-down regular season, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists, he made some serious noise over the course of the Nuggets’ seven-game series, playing some hard-nosed defence and shooting 40.7 per cent from three-point range.
He capped it off with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals off the bench in Game 7 to put the Clippers to rest.
“My ability to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on,” he said. “So whatever that looks like — it may be a turnover, it may be a missed shot, but it may be a steal, maybe a dunk, maybe a missed three, maybe a made three. It’s gonna be all of that, it’s going to be everything, so you just take it. Take it for how it comes and whatever happens, you go with it. I’ve always been like that. As long as I leave it on the floor.”
He also threw down some emphatic dunks, showing off the athleticism and emotion that made him a superstar in the NBA for so many years — including a highlight-of-the-night worthy transition slam that ended in a technical foul for the 36-year-old.
After the slam, he swung back and forth on the rim, jumped off, gave himself a tech and fired up the Ball Arena crowd by shouting “send their asses home.”
That he did.
He’s got another series against the former team coming up next, as the Nuggets booked a series against the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2. Though there may not be as much of a grudge, don’t expect Westbrook to play with less energy.
“I always got love for everybody there. The people, the fans, and I know it’s mutual,” Westbrook said of the upcoming series. “But they also know the reason why they do love me is because I compete at a high level, and I’m gonna do that every night. So that’s all I can do, is go out there and be myself and compete.”
