The Denver Nuggets are facing a midseason slump at the worst possible time, as the team has lost its last four games despite all-time performances from Nikola Jokic. The locker room hasn’t been able to figure out what has started going wrong for the team, who are currently relying on players like Russell Westbrook for major contributions.
Westbrook spoke to the media after their 120-125 loss to the Indiana Pacers and repeated the same answer to almost every question. It started when he was asked about the locker room understanding the danger they face by potentially falling into the Play-in Tournament.
“I don’t know, man. I’m not sure.”
He was asked what he’s most frustrated by and had another short but clear answer.
“Probably just losing.”
Does Russell Westbrook think the locker room feels the urgency of the situation?
“I don’t know, man. I’m not sure.” pic.twitter.com/EjoktJ6xuO
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 7, 2025
Westbrook is feeling the pressure of Denver’s season slipping out of their hands. They look like locks for the No. 3 seed, but their recent slump has brought them within 0.5 games of dropping into the Play-In Tournament.
Russ is averaging 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists this season. He’s had a decent year, although his recent performances are filled with lowlights. The absence of Jamal Murray is having a major impact on the team through this stretch, as they’ll hope all their key players are healthy and in the rotation for the Playoffs.
But they can’t look too far ahead into the future. They have to win out to end the regular season, or they’ll have to shockingly play their way into the Playoffs after being a top-three seed for a majority of the season.
The Nuggets Season Could Shockingly Fall Apart
With just three games remaining, the Nuggets can’t afford to drop any of the remaining games. They have one more win than the four-way tie featuring the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies. With each of these teams aggressively chasing a top-six spot, the Nuggets could find themselves caught out if they keep losing.
The magic number to secure a top-four seed in the West seems to be 50, which would indicate all the teams winning out to end the season. Even though Denver is half a game ahead, all five teams have 32 losses on the year. The max they can win is 50 games in the season, so hitting that mark is crucial.
Unfortunately, Denver has three legitimately challenging opponents left before the season ends. It starts with the Sacramento Kings, who just beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and are chasing the No. 9 seed. That’s followed with a must-win game against standings rivals Memphis Grizzlies before ending the season with a clash against the Houston Rockets.
In their current form, Denver could legitimately lose all three of these clashes and fight their way into the Playoffs. It’d be a nightmare of an outcome for the franchise and could lead to major consequences in the offseason.
