Russell Westbrook on FACING OKC Thunder in the Playoffs & Game 7 Win vs Clippers, Postgame Interview

Russell Westbrook on FACING OKC Thunder in the Playoffs & Game 7 Win vs Clippers, Postgame Interview

Hey Russ, what what are you most proud of individually and as a group after that game seven win? Um, as a group I think we did a good job of being resilient. Um, this was going to be a tough series as we knew and I thought we did a good job of just sticking together, being solid, never wavering. Um, and I think that’s shows kind of where we are, especially with the changes that’s happened towards for us towards the end of the year, the ups and down, injuries and different things of that nature. We did a good job of kind of sticking together. Russian just gave you a lot of credit for giving him information when it comes to guarding James Harden. So, I guess how much do you enjoy kind of having that perspective and being able to share it and and what do you think of the job Christian did over over the course of the series? Yeah, man. Uh, James a tough cover. um you know, he he’s he’s he’s one of the one of the best one-on-one players to play the game and um you got to be able to take some things away and I thought Christian did a good job with just um you know wearing on them, finding ways to try to make the game difficult for him and I thought he did an excellent job and um he’s been doing that all year. So Russ, because the the intensity that you bring night in and night out, it seems that every fan base has a special relationship with you. How much do you cherish the relationship in game when you’re able to have the moments with those fans? Uh, it’s a blessing, man. I I I’m like I I think I mentioned this before, like I’m just um I’m truly truly grateful to be able to do that and to do that. Um this game has done so much for me. Um, I think God put me in a position to be able to be on this platform to go out and and compete at a high level and give this game and as much as I can and hopefully it inspire other people and um, fans across the world globally and I’m always grateful to be able to do that. Um, Russ, after game one, you had a great game in game one. We said it looked like the Clippers were sort of daring you to beat them with how much room they would give you on your outside shots and you said we’ll talk about that after we get the job done and we win. So, you got the job done and you won. Would you like to talk about that a little bit more? Yeah, we could talk about it. What you want to talk about? Did you Did you take that as a personal challenge or did you take any offense to the way that you No. Um, no offense. I um you know, I think they believe that that was their best bet of stopping me or taking me out of the series. But, um, one thing that they nobody knows and that I work. So regardless of what anybody do, um I’m always prepared and I will be prepared for anything because I prepare myself for everything. And like I said, after game one, if they continue doing it, I’m going to make them pay. And I don’t know what I shot for the series. But somebody has tell me, how much? Damn, that’s solid. you know, I guess, you know, it didn’t work out so well for them. Russ, you you again, you just played with a lot of fire, you know, tonight, considering the history, you know, with with that franchise in that city. Did it mean a little extra just to be able to to close them out the way that you did? Um, when closing closeout games are very difficult in this league. Um, and being a part of game sevens is is difficult, but I do think u my job for this team is to bring my energy, bring my competitive spirit, nature, whatever that may be. And I think I told y’all this after game one, excuse my language for my kids at home, but to go in and and that’s what I did. Russ, the game that you missed, the starters played really heavy minutes. Just how important was it for you coming back to be able to alleviate some of the pressure off them and provide quality minutes? It was very important, man. It was it’s tough missing games, especially in the playoffs, um when just freak things happen, but I I I I work my butt off and and thankful for my team of kind of helping me kind of get back to that and be able to get back on the floor. But um being able to get back out there with them is big for us and and being a lift and take some of the load off of the guys on our team. So Russ, you obviously mean a lot to the OKC Thunder organization and you’ve played against them before, but what is it like to be able to go back to where your career got started and face a team that you have a lot of, you know, history with? Honestly, first I don’t know. Um, always got like I told you, that’s that’s like home for me. I always got love for everybody there, the people, the fans, and I know it’s mutual. Um, but they also know the reason why they do love me because I compete at a high level and I’m going to do that every night. Um, so that’s all I can do is go out and be myself and compete and you know try to go out and steal one there. Russ, you had a lot of time to think about the dunk where you end up getting the technical on that. Was that just something going through your mind as you’re going toward the rim? Just kind of how was that maybe the happiest you’ve ever been to get a technical in your career? No. Uh, you know what? I I thought about when I was about to get off the rim backwards, then I just said, “Nah, I’m going just stay up here and try to break break the rim.” Um, and then the tech came and um, you know, intensity, just the emotions and and everything just for me, the fans here uh, great uh, you know, give me a lot of energy, feed off of them. So the moment um just a lot I think just for for all of us and for the fans and a sign of relief um you know that we kind of had the game in hand. Russ I was going to kind of ask about that and there are other moments throughout the season throughout the game throughout your career like that even when you steal the outlet pass and set up AG on the dunk. I it looks like you’re almost having an out-of body experience. Can you like describe like are you thinking or are you what are you feeling in those moments? Yeah, I I think a lot you know as much as people may not think I’m very smart and I understand the game. I understand what’s going on. Um so I am thinking um and I also not I I just just a force man. I think it’s uh you know my ability to be able to to be a force in nature on the floor is what I pride myself on. So, whatever that looks like, it may be a turnover, it may be a miss shot, but it may be a steal, maybe a dunk, maybe a missed three, maybe a made three. It’s going to be all of that. It’s going to be everything. So, you just take it, take it for how it comes, and whatever happens, you go with it. And I always been like that. As long as I leave it on the floor and God willing to be able to go out and continue to compete, I’m grateful for it. Last one. Yeah, Russ, over the course of this series, it felt like this team just got better. Uh, your team got better. How How do you feel like they got better? And what do you feel like your role was in that and the Nuggets just being better against the Clippers specifically? Yeah, I mean I think uh during the series you got to make adjustments and figure out ways to be able to Every game is different. Like it’s not like um regular season, but every single game is is a different, you know, different guys may step up. Your role may change. You may play more, you may play less. Um and understanding what those adjustments were. I thought we did a good job as a team, as a unit, understanding what they were, how we want to execute it. Um, and we responded every game. So, I’m I’m happy that our group did that and now we can move on uh to the next series. Thank you.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets – Full Game 7 Highlights | May 3, 2025 | 2025 NBA Playoffs

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