Russell Westbrook and the Denver Nuggets were routed 125-93 in Sunday’s Game 7 Western Conference semifinal road matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Following the lopsided outcome, Westbrook, an OKC icon, linked up with Thunder superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, creating a viral moment.
Despite leading by 11 points early, Denver trailed most of the afternoon, with OKC utilizing a 39-20 second-quarter advantage to seize control of the must-win tilt. Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with a game-high 35 points, three rebounds, four assists, three steals and three 3-pointers, shooting 12-for-19 (63.2%). The MVP frontrunner did most of his damage in the second half as the Thunder’s edge swelled to as much as 43 points, finishing with a plus-32 rating.
Conversely, Westbrook struggled to make an impact off the bench, mustering six points, five rebounds, two assists, two triples and four turnovers, shooting 2-for-7 (28.6%). The 17-year veteran was a game-worst minus-34, garnering criticism and questions about his future with the Nuggets.
Russell Westbrook Shares Laugh With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander After Subpar Game 7 Performance
Following his lackluster Game 7 showing, Westbrook embraced Gilgeous-Alexander, with the two bursting into laughter.
Shai x Russ 🤝💯
(via @RussFcb)pic.twitter.com/YHHEW1UwHg
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 19, 2025
The viral moment, which amassed nearly 400,000 views six hours after the game, came after Westbrook ended the seven-game series with paltry 34.8/21.9/69.6 shooting splits. As such, the nine-time All-Star caught extensive flak postgame.
Nevertheless, Westbrook, who spent his first 11 seasons with OKC and won the 2017 MVP, remains beloved by his former team’s fan base. He will likely be rooting for the Thunder during their first conference finals appearance since 2016, when he was still part of the franchise.
Westbrook Uninterested in Discussing His Future Following Denver’s Game 7 Loss
During Sunday’s postgame interview, Westbrook was asked about his looming $3.47 million player option for next season. According to The Denver Gazette’s Vinny Benedetto, he deflected the question.
“Tried to get Russell Westbrook in the locker room to see if he had made a decision on his player option for next season. He looked at his watch and asked what I was wearing tomorrow. When I said I didn’t know, he said ‘exactly,’ and walked off,” Benedetto reported. “Nuggets aren’t doing exit interviews.”
After an up-and-down first season with Denver, it appears Westbrook could look elsewhere this offseason. The Nuggets, who are actively searching for a new general manager, are expected to undergo considerable changes this summer. Thus, Westbrook’s fit with the Nikola Jokić-led squad will likely be closely examined.
Across 75 regular-season outings with Denver, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 3-pointers per game, shooting 44.9%.