It isn’t that long ago when it seemed as though the Denver Nuggets had a stranglehold on a top-three spot in the Western Conference standings. But a brutal stretch over the past week or so has them in real danger of falling all the way to the play-in tournament picture, and compounding matters is their 125-120 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night that knocks them down to 47-32 on the season.
The good news is that the Golden State Warriors lost on Sunday (to the Houston Rockets) as well, so that keeps the Nuggets in fourth place for the time being. But trouble might be brewing for Denver, especially with the team wasting another monster outing from Nikola Jokic, who had 41 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists in another defeat.
“I don’t know [if the locker room feels the urgency of the situation], man. I’m not sure,” Westbrook said after the game, via DNVR on X (formerly Twitter).

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

Perhaps this is just Westbrook playing coy. After all, he’s always been very protective when facing the media, and with the Nuggets in the middle of a four-game losing streak, he would much rather keep anything they’ve been talking about in the locker room behind closed doors.
The past few games have been tough for the Nuggets since they’ve been without Jamal Murray, but at the very least, this brutal stretch hasn’t yet cost them very much. However, the next three games for Denver will be equally as tough. They will be facing three teams with something still to play for (Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Houston Rockets), although the Rockets could already have the two-seed locked up by the time that game comes around.
That Nuggets game against the Grizzlies, in particular, stands out as a very crucial one, as it can be the difference between securing an outright playoff spot and having to fight for their lives in the play-in tournament.

Russell Westbrook, Nuggets look to redeem themselves to end the season

Over the Nuggets’ four-game losing streak, Russell Westbrook has had his fair share of bad moments. He made two crucial errors in a double overtime heartbreaker against the Minnesota Timberwolves, missed an easy transition layup in a four-point swing in their loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and was out of sorts on multiple occasions in their defeat to the Warriors.
But again, it’s not too late for the Nuggets to bounce back. As long as they take care of their final three games, they should find themselves in the playoff picture, and perhaps with homecourt advantage in the first round as well.