Russell Westbrook was completely empty at the time.

That's deliberately arranged. Of all the things the Clippers have to defend, Westbrook is the least threat from beyond the three-point line in the left bottom corner.

The future Hall of Famer is known for almost every skill in his NBA career, with his three-point shooting. The Nuggets are down by 1 points and need this.

Westbrook got up and threw out one of the smoothest shots of his career with his trademark high-arc jumper.

Count it in.

"A great player who has been under constant criticism late in his career has made a huge contribution in key moments," ESPN's Ryan Ruko said after the shot.

“他説明你的比傷害你的多。這就是為什麼這傢伙是名人堂球員。” - 博勃·邁爾斯 #NBA pic.twitter/Etkb6dqwyd— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) 2025年4月19日

James Harden dragged the game into overtime with a beautiful throw on the other end of the end that wasn't the winner. Without Westbrook's shot, the Nuggets wouldn't have had a chance to win in overtime.

Just a few weeks ago, Westbrook looked like it was going to be eliminated. David Adelman took over as interim coach, and in his first game, Jalen Pickett was given the playing time that usually belongs to Westbrook.

The former Oklahoma City star found his form in the final two games of the regular season, carrying that momentum into the playoffs.

The Nuggets didn't start Westbrook on Sunday, but they used him in their finishing lineup, not Michael Porter Jr.

Westbrook was the best offensive rebounder on the court, getting multiple extra balls for the Nuggets in overtime as they came back from trailing by 15 points. He forced Harden into a game-winning mistake in overtime by intercepting his former Thunder teammates on the pass route and sending the ball out of bounds.

When the moment of truth came, he hit a shot that no one on the opposing team believed he could hit.

Westbrook's NBA legacy is firmly established as a triple-double grandmaster, and he entered the league as one of the best athletes at the point guard position.

The latter stages of his career were not the most glamorous. He had bad mistakes, was unpopular with multiple teams, and struggled to influence the win overall.

Without him on this night, the Denver team would not have won the game. Add this to Russell Westbrook's story. He's not done yet.

Russell Westbrook's stats in the Nuggets-Clippers Game 1

Russell Westbrook played an incredible game to help the Nuggets win the first game of the playoffs at home.

Westbrook's final figures:

15 points

4 rebounds (including 0 offensive rebounds)

3 assists

2 scrubs

17-0 shooting

6-0 three-point shooting

4-0 penalty percentage

Westbrook played 48 minutes, the fifth-highest playing time for the Nuggets. He entered the game with 0:0 left in the fourth quarter and never left the court again.