Nuggets likely have Russell Westbrook ahead of their matchup vs. Lakers

Everything went according to plan for the Denver Nuggets in their match against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday evening. Despite a solid first half from Anthony Davis and Co., the second half was full of nuggets, including a standout performance from former Lakers Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook played 24 minutes and finished with 14 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting and was a plus-17 on the night. It was the kind of performance the Lakers have had in the year and a half in which they played Westbrook, tried to get Westbrook out of him, but never succeeded.

Davis generally praised Westbrook for what he brings to the Nuggets. But he also believes the Nuggets likely helped give Westbrook extra motivation to perform at his best against LA

“I mean, just for their team, he brings that energy,” Davis said. “You know how Russ plays; He plays hard and made some shots and some steals. You play how Russ plays; I’m pretty sure those guys know the history with us and probably cheered him on a little bit more.

“But you know, when he comes into the game, he’s very disruptive and gives them the momentum they need, especially when he makes plays. I think that helped them a lot tonight.”

The Lakers could have benefited greatly from having Westbrook play against them like he did Saturday night. He was efficient from the field, involved others, limited errors and brought energy to the second and first units.

Westbrook has always been the type of player who needed to adjust his game if he wanted to extend his career, and it’s possible the Nuggets have found the formula for that. Or it’s possible they got the best out of Westbrook given the motivation of playing against the Lakers.

Anthony Davis: Teams take advantage of rebounding problems

Unfortunately, LA’s game against the Nuggets went the way it has in the last 14 meetings. The purple and gold held on, took a respectable lead and then collapsed in the second half.

Especially in the third quarter, the Lakers’ offense stagnated and no longer produced a good performance. That led to settling for jump shots and sloppy turnovers, allowing Denver to counterattack.

Added to this was the inability to end defensive possessions with rebounds, which has been a problem for the Lakers all season. Anthony Davis knows that opposing teams exploit both of these problems in their search for LA

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? This is the best way to watch player interviews, get exclusive event coverage, attend live shows, and more!