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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone praised veteran guard Russell Westbrook Monday night after his historic performance in a 132-121 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Since turnovers were first tracked during the 1977-78 season, Westbrook became only the third player in NBA history to post a triple-double, without missing a shot from the court or the free-throw line and without committing a turnover. commit, per ESPN research.
After Westbrook finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on 7-for-7 shooting from the floor and 2-for-2 shooting from the charity stripe, Malone said: “First-ballot Hall of Famer, one of the biggest points And what I admire so much about him, aside from the leadership and strength that he brings every day, is that he has no ego.”
Malone also praised Westbrook’s burning desire to win, saying, “He came here for one reason and that’s to help us win a championship. And he hates to lose, and that’s another thing I love about him I think he has built up the right skills.” and I will go to war with Russell Westbrook any day.”
Westbrook was already the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, and Monday marked the 201st of his illustrious career.
Triple-doubles have become less common for Westbrook in recent years than during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he averaged a triple-double in three straight years and won the 2016-17 NBA MVP Award.
After being a starter for most of his career, Westbrook has primarily come off the bench over the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and now Nuggets.
Westbrook has back-to-back top-10 finishes in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2023 and 2024, and he may be positioning himself for an even better showing this season.
Starting in just 10 of the 31 games he has appeared in, Westbrook is averaging 12.1 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.1 three-pointers per game while shooting 44.7 percent from field and shoots 31.2 percent from the outside corner.
While much of the credit for Denver’s success goes to Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Going forward, Westbrook has been by far the Nuggets’ most productive bench player, and he is one of only four Nuggets players to have appeared in every season. game this season.
The Nuggets have had some ups and downs this season, but they are now 18-13 after winning four of their last six games, and there is no doubt they have the talent and history of success needed to be contenders in the playoffs.
Westbrook is already a surefire Hall of Famer thanks to his nine All-Star selections, two scoring titles, one NBA MVP Award and a triple-double record, but the one major achievement missing from his resume is an NBA championship.
That may be the biggest reason why Westbrook signed with the Nuggets last offseason, and that decision appears to be paying off.
Westbrook is 36, and while many players who win championships at that age are essentially passengers and not major contributors, that won’t be the case for Westbrook if Denver manages to go the distance this season.
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