Why the Denver Nuggets' title hopes might hinge on the most volatile player in the NBA Russell Westbrook - ESPN

THE WAY RUSSELL WESTBROOK left Oklahoma City isn't a sore spot for anyone in town. Not the way it was when Kevin Durant left in 2016, or James Harden in 2013. Those departures were messy. Westbrook's was not, even though he did initiate it behind the scenes.

So, when he checked into the game with 5:17 left in the first quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, as the Thunder's current MVP candidate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was at the free throw line being serenaded with MVP chants, the crowd stopped hyping up their new star and stood to cheer for their old one.

To the dismay of fans, it brought out the best in Westbrook, who made several critical plays down the stretch as the Nuggets rallied from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit. The last one occurred when it mattered most.

With just over eight seconds left, and Denver down 119-118, Nuggets guard Christian Braun secured a rebound on the right wing and immediately swung an outlet pass to Westbrook, who was sprinting down the right sideline at a speed only he seems to possess.

As fate would have it, with the game on the line, Westbrook was confronted with a game-deciding choice. Every soul in the building assumed he would drive into the teeth of the Thunder defense to try to get up a potential winning shot. The Nuggets had seen that before, to varying degrees of success. So too had the Thunder.

Thunder center Chet Holmgren even backed up, hoping to lure Westbrook into a lose-lose choice: driving in himself or pulling up for 3. It was a challenge. And Westbrook does not back down from challenges.

Even Denver's broadcast crew didn't think Westbrook could resist. In approximately three seconds, inside the Altitude Sports studio, they encapsulated the full