36-year-old Westbrook scored seventh title, even his opponent reporter called him the savior

On May 4, 2025, the NBA playoffs staged a shocking reversal. The Nuggets eliminated the Clippers 120-101 at home. The 35-year-old Westbrook slapped his old club in the face with a comprehensive data of 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. What is even more surprising is that the first person to stand up and praise him after the game was Fabold Esnashari, a reporter from the Clippers. He wrote excitedly on social media: "Westbrook is the savior of the Nuggets! The whole world should stand up and applaud him! "

Who would have thought that this "outdated superstar" who was disliked by the Lakers and abandoned by the Clippers became the decisive needle when it came to the Nuggets. In the first game of the series, Westbrook scored 10 points in the last quarter to stabilize the morale of the army; in the moment of life and death of G4, he repeatedly steals Harden to secure the victory. In today's tiebreak battle, he even contributed 10 points and 2 steals in the second quarter, which directly stunned the Clippers.

Old fans all remember the scene where Westbrook was scolded in the Lakers two years ago. At that time, he received a maximum salary of 47 million yuan, but he was always ridiculed for his mistakes. When the Nuggets signed him with the veteran's basic salary last summer, how many people were waiting to see the joke. As a result, he managed to make his three-point shooting percentage to 41.9%, and scored 13 three-pointers in this round of the series, 5 more than Harden, who is good at shooting.

Today's game is Westbrook's "Revenge". At 9 minutes and 15 seconds in the second quarter, he quickly cut off Harden's pass, assisting Gordon to dunk. The broadcast footage was specially given to the Clippers bench, and Xiao Ka frowned and shook his head. One minute later, Westbrook defended himself with close body, forcing Harden to dribble out of bounds. The most murderous thing was the beginning of the third quarter. He hit a three-pointer against Zubac, and the difference went straight to 20 points.

Nuggets coach Malone revealed his secret after the game: "We never read social media. When Westbrook first came, I told him 'Be yourself'. "This sounds familiar? Jokic said the same thing when he won the championship last year. It seems that Denver is a blessing for veterans to rejuvenate for the second spring.

Looking at this set of data, Westbrook is worth it: an annual salary of 2.8 million, averaged 12.3 points and 4.5 assists per game, plus or negative value + 15 second in the team. In comparison, Harden received an annual salary of 38 million yuan and only scored 7 points in the key battle. No wonder some fans joked: "The Clippers are spending a lot of money to learn lessons, and the Nuggets have made bargains to become experts."

What is even more rare is Westbrook's attitude. During the playoffs, he practiced 500 more three-pointers every day and lost 8 pounds. There is a detail circulating in the Nuggets locker room: after G6 lost, Westbrook pulled Jokic and practiced until 1 a.m. This kind of fighting spirit infected the whole team, and Porter Jr. said: "With him here, we will always be full of fighting spirit."

When the final whistle sounded, Westbrook hugged his teammates one by one, and finally walked to the Clippers bench and patted Harden on the shoulder. This action was captured by the camera and instantly became a hot search. Some netizens commented: "This is the spirit of sports, you can afford to lose and win beautifully." As the Nuggets advanced, Westbrook is one step closer to his first championship in his career. This veteran who was once questioned "cancer" is writing a new legend in the Denver Plateau.