Russell Westbrook Clears the Air Over Conflict With Clippers Star as Nuggets Frustrations Ends in Denver

“You better box out. You better box out” is what Russell Westbrook was reportedly saying as he attempted to distract 27-year-old Ivica Zubac with trash talk. The backup point guard for the Denver Nuggets was certainly on fire during the recent matchup against the LA Clippers. He put up 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists during the matchup. However, the highlight of the game came when Westbrook distracted Zubac to the point that when DeAndre Jordan missed his free throw, Westbrook jumped up to drop it into the rim himself and secure an additional two points. As the spotlight shone on him in the aftermath of the game, Westbrook gave his account of what transpired during those final four minutes of the 1 quarter.

During the post-game presser, Russell Westbrook revealed that he told Ivica Zubac “I was gonna get the rebound”. Once the lane violation was granted, the player seemed as sure as ever that he would turn the odds in his favor. This compelled him to state openly “It’s all ok, I said ‘Im’ma get this one’, that tells you that if he missed, ‘I’m gonna get this one’, ain’t nothing you can do about it. He missed, I got it, and ain’t nothing he could do about it”. The tone in which Westbrook spoke out generated laughter amongst several of the media members present in the presser.

Well, no one can blame the Clippers player for not being warned earlier. He didn’t listen, and Russell Westbrook made him pay. At the same time, however, Zubac may have felt that the trash-talk may not amount to an offensive rebound. After all, the Croatian has played both against and with Westbrook. Therefore, he would be aware of the level of trash-talk that the latter deploys.

No matter how much Jayson Tatum may consider it to be fun, or Dillon Brooks may consider it to be “wack”, Westbrook’s trash-talk may affect the players from time to time. This mannerism of his is what Nuggets head coach Michael Malone had grown to appreciate. After all, he had once stated, “When you’re talking s**t and getting under other people’s skin, that becomes contagious.”

Westbrook’s efforts helped the Denver Nuggets win by a score of 126-103. This win ended the 2-game loss streak that Nikola Jokic and Co had recorded at home. To make things better, the squad won even without Jokic, whose illness sidelined him. Some doubts may have been present on whether the Nuggets could win without their star player. However, Michael Malone may not have held them. After all, the HC may have realized that going up against the Clippers would bring a different side of Westbrook.

Michael Malone praised Russell Westbrook while claiming that he “plays a little bit harder against the Clippers”

Russell Westbrook has had his fair share of experience with different NBA franchises. Since he was drafted in 2008, the point guard has had stints with 6 teams. When playing for the LA Clippers during the 2023-24 season, the player’s performance had reached a low point. He was averaging only 11.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Eventually, Westbrook was traded during the recent offseason even after he picked up his player option. Therefore, there would have been no better way to convey to the Clippers what they lost than to show it to them firsthand.

During the post-game presser, Michael Malone revealed, “I don’t know if you guys notice, because Russ always plays hard as hell. He plays a little bit harder against the Clippers, and he matches (just) a little more, but he hates to lose. And, sometimes…..he’s a guy that literally, you’ll always hear it, but he imposes his will on the game. He really does, it’s incredible to watch. Other things that he does, the aggression, the attack mindset. 19, 8, and 6 tonight. And, what he’s doing as a 17-year vet is just incredible.”

The recent matchup showed that we can expect more memorable moments from Russell Westbrook in the coming games. Whether the player will oblige and provide them is something that remains to be seen.