Russell Westbrook endured a brutal start to his tenure with the Denver Nuggets.
Over his first two games with the franchise, he was shooting just 11.1% on nine shot attempts per game, an his struggles were hindering the Nuggets’ ability to control games when the second unit was on the court. They lost both of their opening contests.
However, Westbrook snapped out of his slump on Tuesday with 22 points and five assists in 20 minutes of playing time. When addressing the media after the game, he cited the Brooklyn Nets’ bench unit as motivating.
“They learned the hard way,” Westbrook said. “I’m one of the most of the competitive to play the game. When they wanna raise their level, I raise my level. Simple as that.”