Inside The Nuggets

Russell Westbrook Makes NBA History in Nuggets-Knicks

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook went off in the 4th quarter vs. the New York Knicks.
Joey Linn|
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) reacts to a play during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) reacts to a play during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Denver NuggetsNew York Knicks

The Denver Nuggets were blown out by the New York Knicks on Monday night by a final score of 145-118. It was a poor showing for many Denver players, as even three-time MVP Nikola Jokic did not reach his usual production.

Denver was led in scoring by 17-year veteran Russell Westbrook who had 27 points off the bench. Westbrook scored 24 of those points in the fourth quarter, which was the highest-scoring quarter of his Hall of Fame career.

This fourth quarter for Westbrook also made NBA history. With his dominant final frame, Westbrook joined Michael Jordan and Jamal Crawford as just the third player at least 36-years-old with 24 points or more in a single quarter (via Basketball Reference’s StatHead).

The NBA’s quarter-specific data only goes back to the 1996-97 season, but Westbrook, Crawford, and Jordan are the only players since then to have at least 24 points in a quarter at age 36 or older. Jordan did so at age 38 when he had 24 points in the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets. Crawford achieved the feat at age 39 when he had 26 points in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in 2019.

This is a very impressive list that Westbrook joined, and it is just one way he made history vs. New York. With his 405th career 25-point game, Westbrook tied Hall of Fame forward John Havlicek for the 30th most such games in NBA history (via StatHead).

Still playing at a high level in his 17th season, Westbrook had been a great signing for the Nuggets.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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