Russell Westbrook delivers in clutch to help Kings snap eight-game losing streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
For the first time since Nov. 5, the sky in downtown Sacramento is graced with a purple hue that can only mean one thing. The Kings won a basketball game.
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Sacramento snapped an eight-game losing streak with a gritty 128-123 comeback win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night at Ball Arena, getting a vintage Russell Westbrook performance that was capped off with an exquisite fourth quarter showing against his former team.
Westbrook has 21 points, six rebounds and 11 assists on 9-of-16 shooting, with the majority of those buckets coming down the stretch as Sacramento valiantly stormed back from a 13-point deficit to snag a much-needed victory.
15 of those 21 points came in the fourth quarter, including a timeless sequence that saw Westbrook snag a rebound at one end before racing up the court for a layup. Even at 37 years old, Westbrook’s burst still is among the NBA’s best.
Westbrook’s hustle and effort were on display during a pivotal sequence with just over a minute remaining, battling on the boards with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, before making the heady decision to throw the ball off his former teammate to ensure Sacramento would gain possession of the ball.
Westbrook then followed that up with a tough fadeaway shot along the baseline, effectively sealing the win for Sacramento.
While Westbrook stole the show with his fourth-quarter heroics, the nine-time NBA All-Star was quick credit his teammate’s faith in each other as the key to pulling out a win that ended a couple weeks of basketball misery for the Kings.
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“You lean on each other. You don’t look out, you look within,” Westbrook said on “Kings Postgame Live. “You have each other’s back. This is a brotherhood, and I think through all the ups and downs all we have is each other. Going on the road, especially against a championship-caliber team, this is a big win for us.”
Westbrook’s teammates still wasted no time heaping praise on the former NBA MVP.
“How many years has he been in the league? 18? He has been doing this for a long time, nothing surprises me,” Malik Monk told reporters after the win when asked about Westbrook.
Keegan Murray also echoed praise for the 18-year veteran, citing the difficult shots Westbrook drained down the stretch to help secure the win.
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“He mad some really tough shots. Obviously he played here last year, so that was big for him,” Murray said. “He’s a super confident guy, been around the block a couple times. It was a big moment for him and it helped us get the win.
Murray dropped in 19 points of his own, and more importantly made his presence felt on the defensive end, an area where the Kings missed him dearly during a prolonged injury absence.
While the win only improves the Kings to 4-13 on the season, it was the first step toward any chance at turning Sacramento’s abysmal start to the season around. The Kings have a chance to continue building momentum on Monday night when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center.
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But for now, they can take a moment and enjoy the spoils of victory. A feeling they haven’t been able to cherish for almost three weeks.
“Like I’ve said many times, this league is hard to win in every night,” Westbrook said. “Tonight we fought as a team, this is a big win for us going back home.”
