Westbrook atoned for his late game follies heading into the playoffs by first providing a corner triple to give the Nuggets a two-point lead late in regulation, and then knocking an inbound pass away from former teammate James Harden with 9.6 ticks left in the extra period to seal the deal for Denver.
As a former Clipper, Westbrook was able to help his team force LA to 20 turnovers — which also included seven from Kawhi Leonard, flexing his knowledge of the plays, having played for the Clippers for the last two seasons.
It was a big win for Denver who clawed back from 15 points down in the game and handed the Clippers their first loss after winning their last eight games in the regular season.
Westbrook finished with 15 points, eight boards, three assists, and two steals whereas Nikola Jokic was one rebound short of a triple-double with 29 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists. he also had three steals and a block.
Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray added 25 and 21 markers, respectively, as Denver goes up 1-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Harden had 32 points, six boards, and 11 assists to pace the Clippers in the loss.
The Nuggets thus make do after a tumultuous start to the postseason saw head coach Mike Malone and General Manager Calvin Booth both dismissed heading into the playoffs.
David Adelman is currently calling the shots for the Nuggets.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks rode a 21-0 run in the fourth quarter to run away to a 123-112 victory over the Detroit Pistons at the Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson fired off 34 points to give New York the edge in the best-of-seven series.
