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The LA Clippers are now 0-5, with James Harden joining after a blockbuster trade and things turning for the worse for Russell Westbrook. Against the Denver Nuggets in the 2023-24 NBA In-Season Tournament, Westbrook was benched in the fourth quarter, limiting him to just 24 minutes in the Clippers close loss, 108-111.
Westbrook, who just turned 35 years old, finished the game with only eight points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. However, the former league MVP shot 33% from the field, sinking only four of his dozen attempts.
It seemed that benching Westbrook helped the Clippers go close with the defending champions as they ended the game losing by just three points. While this may be a smart move by Coach Ty Lue, veteran sports journalist Skip Bayless sees beef brewing between Westbrook and the Clippers after this game.
"Ty Lue made the right move, going with Harden over Westbrook down the stretch ... but you watch, Russ will not be happy about this," posted Bayless on the social media platform X.
The Clippers fall to 3-7 and are not on a six-game losing streak. They will be facing the surging Houston Rockets in their next game come November 17 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
LA Clippers still lost to the Denver Nuggets despite benching Russell Westbrook in the fourth quarter
Even without Jamal Murray, the Denver Nuggets were able to pull off a victory on their home court against the LA Clippers. Nikola Jokic was too much for their opponents to handle as he led the charge with a near triple-double of 32 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists.
Jokic got help mainly from Aaron Gordon, who tallied 20 points and five boards, while Reggie Jackson stepped up in the absence of Jamal Murray, doing 18 points, four assists and three rebounds.
On the other side, Paul George led all scorers with 35 points, along with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. James Harden had a better outing, doing 21 points, four dimes and two boards, while Kawhi Leonard tallied 15 points, five steals, two assists and two rebounds in the loss.
The Denver Nuggets, after this game, will now go on a five-game road trip. Among the teams that they will face are the New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets. They remain the top team in the NBA Western Conference, with their record improving to 9-2.
