Russell Westbrook’s Nuggets Impact Exceeds 22 Points Vs. Nets

BROOKLYN, NY — While most of the Nuggets slept or otherwise kept to themselves during a long flight to Toronto last weekend, Russell Westbrook wandered to the back of the team’s plane and struck up a conversation with head coach Michael Malone.

There was talk of basketball, of Denver’s new-look second unit and its uneven start to the season. But that was peripheral to Westbrook in this setting. He had already been trying to get around his new teammates throughout training camp because he wanted to familiarize himself with their background. Now was a chance to hear more about his coach’s.

“I do it all the time, man; it’s just not seen by (the public),” Westbrook said. “… I like to learn about people, learn about their family, his kids. Basketball is anything.”

He and Malone even ended up discussing the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a subject Westbrook had learned about during his 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which motivated him to produce a History Channel documentary called “Tulsa Burning.”

“I mean, what an interesting person Russell Westbrook is,” Malone marveled.

Westbrook’s production on the court had been secondary to the intangible impression he has left on Denver before Tuesday, when his breakout performance sparked a team on steam in Brooklyn. The Nuggets climbed back from a 17-point deficit to force overtime for the second time in as many nights — and as many cities. In a 144-139 win, the backup point guard tallied 22 points and five assists in regulation. Then he didn’t even have to play overtime to ensure his relentless presence was still inescapable at Barclays Center.

With 17 seconds left and the game almost over, Nets veteran Dennis Schroder committed an offensive foul in the corner, directly in front of the visiting bench. Westbrook paraded out to the scene and pointed to the other end of the floor, gleefully mimicking the foul call itself. Schroder stood by, confused.

“It was time for the game to be over and time to get some food,” Westbrook said.

It was a vintage, idiosyncratic Russ moment, perhaps the most fitting embodiment of his impact in Denver thus far, occurring outside of game action and adding some fresh personality to the roster. It’s been consistent, even if the points and assists haven’t been.

“It’s not just about putting the ball in the hoop,” Peyton Watson said when asked if the scoring surge is what the Nuggets envisioned when they added Westbrook. “Russ does so many things that a lot of people would never see. … All those things mean more to me than whether he makes or misses shots.”