The Denver Nuggets won another close battle against the Toronto Raptors on November 4th. The team won by a final score of 121-119. Denver had to scrape and claw for the victory as they came back from a 14-point deficit. However, the Nuggets got solid production from some younger players. Their second unit also had some great plays, a surprising fact considering Denver had has had an inept bench to start the season. Russell Westbrook, who had a great night himself, had some high praise for the young players after the game.
“I love to see the growth. I love to see the mistakes. I love to see frustration. I love to see adversity. I love to see joy. I love to see the happiness. I love see all the mixed emotion, because it’s a part of the game. And understand it teaches you a lot about life. Basketball is what we do, yes, but it also teach you life skills, and allows you to if you have adversity throughout your own life, personal life, what are you going to do? You can either quit, you either point a finger, you either look within, you can ask for advice. There’s a lot of different options to be able to look at. And I love to be able to be there, to be a person, to be a voice, somebody that can listen and be there for them. So I love the part of that process.”
Considering the game went down to the wire and things looked dire for Denver at one point, Westbrooks’s comments are very fitting.
Russell Westbrook Talks About Playing With Denver’s Youth After Win Over Toronto Raptors
Key Contributors in the Close Win Against the Raptors
Some players who stepped up in a huge way include Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, and Julian Strawther. It should also be noted that Westbrook himself turned back the clock and was one of the best players on the floor. He came away with 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists and contested R.J. Barrett’s game-winning three-point attempt. Nikola Jokic notched another triple-double and recorded 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists.
However, the story of the game was the young core. Aaron Gordon left the game early with a hamstring strain which opened up more minutes for the youngsters. Peyton Watson was crucial with his key blocked shots and hit a clutch three-point shot late in the fourth quarter to give Denver a one-point lead. Christian Braun continues to shine in place of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with his perimeter defense and timely buckets. Last, but not least, Strawther showed tremendous poise down the stretch and is turning into a capable scorer. Considering all of this, it makes sense why Russell Westbrook had such high praise after the game.
