With their backs against the wall, the Denver Nuggets got the job done. After trailing by 13 points with six-and-a-half minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets stormed back to take down the Oklahoma City Thunder, making a statement in Game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead.
The Nuggets were led by MVP center Nikola Jokic with 42 points, 22 rebounds, and 6 assists, but it was his supporting cast that ultimately saved the day.
Of course, Aaron Gordon was the highlight of the night after draining the game-winning three-pointer, but another unsung hero has largely gone unnoticed.
Veteran point guard Russell Westbrook came off the bench for the Nuggets on Monday night and made a true difference. The nine-time All-Star dropped 18 points on 7-13 shooting from the field and had the game-winning assist to set up Gordon’s three-pointer.
With his 18-point performance on Monday, Westbrook passed both Reggie Miller and Chris Paul on the NBA all-time playoff scoring leaderboard, moving into 30th place with 2,982 career postseason points. Westbrook now has the fifth-most playoff points by a point guard in NBA history.
Russell Westbrook now has the 5th most playoff points by a point guard in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/JGCMC5Iszp
— Polymarket Hoops (@StatMamba) May 6, 2025
Westbrook is rarely talked about among the best point guards to ever play the game, but he should undoubtedly be in that conversation. Westbrook is one of just seven point guards to ever win the NBA MVP award and is still the most recent.
Of course, Westbrook is still missing an NBA championship, but Denver’s Game 1 victory over the Thunder puts them on an optimistic path to get there this season.
