Nuggets analysts can't hide their Russell Westbrook anxiety on winning play

When you welcome the Russell Westbrook Experience to your basketball team, you're placing the franchise and fan base on the wildest roller-coaster ride in the NBA. For every explosive drive to the basket, an ugly bricked shot or a head-scratching turnover is sure to follow.

Westbrook succinctly explained the wide range of outcomes when he's on the court after positively impacting the Denver Nuggets' series-clinching win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals off the bench.

"My ability to be able to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on," Westbrook told reporters after Denver's 120-101 Game 7 victory. "So whatever that looks like — it may be a turnover, it may be a missed shot. But it may be a steal, may be a dunk, may be a missed 3, may be a made 3. It's gonna be all of that. It's going to be everything.

"So you just take it for how it comes. Whatever happens, you go with it."

Russ on the Russ experience:

"My ability to be able to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on. It may be a turnover, it may be a missed shot, but it may be a steal, may be a dunk, may be a missed 3, maybe a made 3, it's gonna be all of that" pic.twitter.com/Up0JGZs5qn
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 4, 2025

The final seconds of Monday's exhilarating Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder appeared to bring the flip side to Westbrook's unpredictable game.

After Chet Holmgren missed two free throws to keep the Thunder's lead at 119-118 with 9.5 seconds left, Christian Braun secured the rebound and pushed the ball up court to Westbrook. At that moment, Nuggets fans had to experience peak anxiety. The team's own studio show on Altitude certainly did.

The reactions of host Chris Marlowe and analysts Chris Dempsey and Vic Lombardi were captured on video as they watched the final seconds. When Westbrook dribbled against OKC's Jalen Williams seemingly looking to take the game-winning shot, the trio had the appropriate reaction: "NO NO NO NO!"

The Nuggets broadcast saying “NO NO NO” when Russ had the ball 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/5ZXPVSqXiX
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) May 6, 2025

Of course, their tune changed when Westbrook made the right play — feeding a wide-open Aaron Gordon to attempt the go-ahead 3-pointer. Gordon rattled home the 3 despite a late contest by Holmgren to give Denver a 121-119 lead with 2.8 seconds remaining.

Williams' desperate heave from 56 feet crashed high off the backboard to complete the Nuggets' comeback from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit and take a surprising 1-0 series lead.

AARON GORDON 3 FOR THE WIN!!!@nuggets take Game 1 in a THRILLER 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fxV2ReRPZA
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025

Gordon's clutch 3-pointer was his second game-winner of the playoffs, having beaten the Clippers on a buzzer-beating two-handed slam in Game 4 of Denver's first-round series.

Westbrook again served as the catalyst in a reserve role. He finished with 18 points (on 7-of-13 shooting), two rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes.

"I saw Chet in the paint, and my job is to drive and kick it. And AG was ready to shoot it," said Westbrook, who played his first 11 NBA seasons with the Thunder. "He's been making big shots all year long. I knew it was good when it left his hands, to be honest."

Buckle up, Nuggets fans. The series against OKC — and the wild ride of watching Westbrook — is sure to have plenty of highs and lows and more twists and turns.

"I knew it was good when it left his hands to be honest" -Russell Westbrook

Russ speaks on what he thought of AG's game winner 👇#MileHighPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/7uN7uW3QYs
— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) May 6, 2025

Nuggets analysts can't hide their Russell Westbrook anxiety on winning play vs. Thunder

By Joe Lago | 2:59 AM EDT