The Denver Nuggets‘ bench reaction to Russell Westbrook’s stunning sequence of mistakes in their 140-139 double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves has gone viral—and for all the wrong reasons.
What started as pure elation quickly turned into disbelief and heartbreak. With under 18 seconds remaining in the second overtime, Denver was up by one and had seemingly iced the game after Westbrook made a clutch steal.
As he pushed the ball in transition with Christian Braun alongside him, the bench was already celebrating. Smiles, high-fives, and cheers erupted—they were seconds away from a season-defining win.
Then disaster struck.
Instead of holding the ball and drawing a foul—which would have stopped the clock and likely sealed the win—Westbrook tried to be the hero. He passed the ball to Braun on a two-on-one fastbreak, got it back, and missed the wide-open layup. Gasps from the bench were visible. But it got worse.
The Timberwolves recovered the rebound and charged back. Denver’s defense scrambled to reset, and after tight coverage forced a kick-out, Nickeil Alexander-Walker launched a desperation three with less than a second to go. The shot missed—but the whistle blew. Westbrook had fouled him.
The Nuggets’ bench, once jubilant, immediately sank in despair. What had been a moment of triumph turned into a collapse of epic proportions. On video, you could see players with their hands on their heads, pacing back and forth in disbelief.
Assistant coaches threw their clipboards down, and Aaron Gordon walked off the court before the final free throw was even taken.
It was heartbreak in real time.
Westbrook’s decision-making in the closing seconds will be analyzed for a long time. It wasn’t just the missed layup or the foul—it was the opportunity lost. Denver didn’t need points, they needed composure, and for a veteran of Westbrook’s caliber, it was the kind of mental lapse that’s hard to excuse.
The numbers don’t help his case either. The Nuggets are 26-24 when Westbrook plays 25+ minutes this season, compared to a staggering 21-5 when he plays under 25. Those splits are hard to ignore.
While Westbrook brings pace and playmaking, the fit has been awkward. He’s averaging 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists on respectable shooting splits, but moments like Tuesday’s raise questions about his late-game reliability.
Nikola Jokic, who had a career-high 61-point triple-double in the loss, and head coach Michael Malone defended Westbrook postgame.
Still, the moment has already taken a life of its own online. Fans have replayed the sequence endlessly, and the bench reactions have become memes and gifs. It’s gone viral not just because of the miss, but because of how quickly the Nuggets’ sideline went from pure joy to utter shock.
Westbrook’s talent is undeniable—but Tuesday was another reminder that sometimes, it’s the little decisions that define a season.
