Aaron Gordon came to Russell Westbrook’s defense after the Denver Nuggets‘ 112-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 on Tuesday. When asked postgame if the Nuggets could win the next two, Gordon stated they could and then went on to address the ESPN story regarding his altercation with Westbrook.
“I don’t feel like talking about the game,” Gordon said. “Earlier, I caught wind of an article that came out about Russell Westbrook in our locker room after Game 2, which was a completely arbitrary article and pointless, and unnecessary by whoever it was that was put out.
“Russ is one of the most talented basketball players that has ever played the game of basketball,” Gordon stated. “Quite frankly, he’s been great for us all year long. We’re brothers, we spend more time with our team than we do with our own family.
“Of course, there’s gonna be disagreements, but that conversation wasn’t for anybody other than our own group and the internal workings of our locker room,” Gordon continued. “So, that article is just so arbitrary, it’s so far from the truth.
“Russ has been amazing for us,” Gordon added. “Not only is he a great basketball player, but he’s an even better human being. And he’s going to continue to be great for us and make a huge impact, and he’s gonna help us win these next two games.”
Gordon was referring to Ramona Shelburne’s report that came out hours before Game 5. Shelburne revealed that Gordon and Westbrook had been involved in a heated exchange after Game 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.
“Minutes after the Nuggets lost Game 2 of their first-round series against the Clippers, Adelman had a problem. While he’d been at the postgame lectern, there’d been a heated discussion between Westbrook and Gordon in the locker room, multiple sources told ESPN. Gordon had challenged Westbrook about his attitude.”
Gordon wasn’t the only one to take issue with this article, as Westbrook’s wife, Nina, blasted Shelburne for spreading lies. Nina had a problem with how her husband was portrayed and did not hold back.
Now, Gordon did not deny that he and Westbrook had an argument, but appeared perplexed about it being propped up as a big story. As he pointed out, disagreements are natural, given how much time they spend around each other.
That incident certainly didn’t change how Gordon views Westbrook. The 29-year-old still has a lot of love for the former MVP and believes he will play a big role in the Nuggets turning this series around.
Westbrook struggled in Game 5, finishing with four points (1-7 FG), four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Nuggets head coach David Adelman decided against playing the veteran much down the stretch, as he was on the court for just under two minutes in the fourth quarter.
As for Gordon, he had 13 points (6-13 FG), five rebounds, three assists, and one steal against the Thunder. He had come up big in the big moments in this series, but went 0-3 from the field in the fourth quarter.
Nuggets not named Nikola Jokic went 1-15 from the field in the fourth, and that’s not a recipe for success. They are now on the brink of elimination and will look to stay alive in this series in Game 6 at Ball Arena on Thursday at 8:30 PM ET.
