When the Nuggets acquired Russell Westbrook last summer, the move was widely frowned upon by many basketball pundits. He was coming off his career’s worst season with the Clippers in terms of individual stats, averaging merely 11.1 points and over four assists. So, many believed Russ’ days of dominating were done, and he could not impact winning in Denver. But the former MVP is changing that narrative one game at a time.

During the regular season, Westbrook became the perfect backup guard to Jamal Murray. He used his veteran leadership to lead the Nuggets’ second unit and even took on the starting role whenever needed. His averages improved to 13.3 points and over six assists. But Russ’ true impact has shown in the ongoing Clippers series. Let’s take tonight’s game, for example.

In the first Game 7 of these playoffs, the Nuggets are fighting to save their season as they go head-to-head against the Clippers. Sure enough, they needed every player to bring their A game in order to beat the lethal duo of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. While the starters did their thing led by Nikola Jokic, Westbrook took care of business coming off the bench. Taking over early, he scored 10 points and three assists in the first half, giving the Nuggets an eleven-point lead heading into the second period.

Moreover, Russ also contributed on the defensive end by getting two crucial steals. And this is not a one-off incident. Apart from the two games where he was dealing with a foot injury, Westbrook has averaged 16 points and nearly six assists in this series. As expected, he has won over the hoop community with his impressive consistency.

Calls mount to end Russell Wesbrook slander as former MVP shows “vintage” form in Game 7

As Russ took over in the elimination game, he left the NBA World in complete awe. His former teammate Patrick Beverley was the first to chime in, “We should all agree after this game Win or Lose the Westbrook slander is done. he really does everything Brodie.” Yes, Russ has faced a ton of criticism in recent years for his inability to play winning playoffs basketball. But the Clippers series has ended that narrative.

Of course, a lot of it has been because of Wesbrook’s constant hustle and willingness to sacrifice. Even veteran insider Skip Bayless thinks so, as he tweeted, “VINTAGE WESTBROOK: So short on a free throw he got a running start, grabbed the rebound AND LAID IT RIGHT BACK IN OFF THE GLASS. No NBA player has ever hustled harder than Westbrook. But how sorry was it for the Clippers to allow a layup off a missed free throw???”

As the Clippers were on track to face another playoff elimination, many netizens also pointed out their unfortunate luck. Comments like “Death by Russell Westbrook in the ENTIRE series without one bad game is a very Clippers thing to happen” and “I know every Westbrook bucket feels like a shotgun blast to the chest for clippers fans and players” began flooding in. Losing in Game 7 is heartbreaking enough, but to see your former player on the other side be the reason for the loss is another level of pain.

Well, the Clippers let go of Russ last summer by trading him to the Jazz in exchange for Kris Dunn and some draft capital. Now, they are facing the consequences. While Russ had a hot start to the game, the job was far from over. So, Denver fans urged coach David Adelman to keep this momentum going, “Russ needs to start the second half. Adelman make the necessary adjustment. Don’t allow us to lose another 3rd quarter because you didn’t do it.”

That’s exactly what Adelman did, as the Nuggets continued their dominance and outscored the Clippers 35-19 in the third quarter. Now, they are only a quarter away from advancing to the West semis and a ton of credit goes to Russell Westbrook.