Last night was a terrific evening for Russell Westbrook. That was until things got awkward after Game 1.
Westbrook received a standing ovation during the matchup against his old team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was Mr. Triple-Double’s first playoff game on the road in Oklahoma City with a live crowd.
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The Denver Nuggets managed to steal this contest for Russ too. The Nuggets snuck away with a nail-biting 121-119 victory after a game-winning shot from Aaron Gordon late in this one.
Westbrook delivered a strong performance in the win. The Nuggets guard dropped 18 points, two rebounds, and two assists off the bench to aid in his team’s efforts.
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) reacts during a game.Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Westbrook caught off guard by question about LeBron James
Instead of the full focus after the game falling on Westbrook’s commendable performance, one reporter decided to ask the point guard about an old teammate of his.
With the Met Gala coming up, Westbrook was asked about whether he offered any tips to LeBron James ahead of the event. The former Los Angeles Lakers guard had to brush that one off, but there was some notable discomfort.
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“I haven’t talked to Bron in—I don’t know how long,” Westbrook said, keeping things short and simple.
Related: Thunder Coach Gets Honest About Playing Russell Westbrook in Playoffs
The two former teammates had some tumultuous seasons together on the Lakers. The Westbrook era in Lakers basketball has been held in really low regard. The all-time great point guard served as a scapegoat for a lot of the team’s shortcomings.
Westbrook is certainly not faultless for the failures of that team. However, to fully throw everything on his shoulders would be incredibly disingenuous to all the problems those Lakers teams had.
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Hearing that James and Westbrook have not spoken much since their failed team-up was certainly a rough moment to witness.
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