The Denver Nuggets defeated the Sacramento Kings 130-124 on Monday night, led by a balanced performance from Nikola Jokic, who posted 34 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds, four steals, and two blocks in 34 minutes.
Sacramento, down by nine points at halftime, cut into the Nuggets’ lead late, but turnovers and missed opportunities ultimately sealed their fate, scoring just nine points over the last five minutes of play.
Yet, the postgame noise centered on Russell Westbrook in his first return to Ball Arena as a member of the Kings after spending the 2024-25 NBA season with the Nuggets.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Westbrook offered a blunt assessment of his lone season in Denver.
“I thought it was great,” he said. “I guess some people didn’t. The truth is, they didn’t want me back. It ain’t up to me. Sorry ya’ll. God has a plan, be patient. It’s not up to me. If they don’t want me, that’s okay. Somebody else do.”
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Westbrook posted one of his better box scores of the season on Monday, finishing with a team-high 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting along with 12 rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 37 minutes.
Just two nights earlier, Westbrook recorded a 12-point, 10-assist double-double in the Kings’ 135-133 nailbiter over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Through the first seven games (three starts), he has averaged 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 27.6 minutes per game, showing much of what he did a year ago in Denver.
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Westbrook carries one of the most decorated resumes of the last two decades — 2016-17 NBA MVP, nine All-Star nods, nine All-NBA honors, multiple scoring and assist titles, and the all-time leader in career triple-doubles (203).
After stops in Oklahoma City, Houston, Washington, L.A. (Lakers), L.A. (Clippers), and Utah (briefly), he signed with the Nuggets for the 2024–25 campaign and played 75 games (36 starts) before becoming a pending free agent.
He declined a small player option in June and hit free agency this offseason before agreeing to a one-year deal with Sacramento on Oct. 16, just days before the season tipped off.
Sacramento’s upcoming schedule features five consecutive home games beginning with the Warriors on Wednesday, before dates with the Thunder and Timberwolves, a rematch against the Nuggets, and a Nov. 12 matchup versus the Hawks.
