"Padded his stats in garbage time": Fans accuse Russell Westbrook of stat-padding in Nuggets' 27-point blowout loss vs. Knicks

Russell Westbrook continued his impressive run of form with another strong showing during the Denver Nuggets' 145-118 blowout loss to the New York Knicks on Monday. Despite the 27-point defeat at home, Westbrook was a bright spot for the Nuggets, delivering a standout performance off the bench.

The veteran point guard finished with 27 points in just 25 minutes, shooting 9 of 16 from the field, including an efficient 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. Remarkably, 24 of his points came in the fourth quarter. Westbrook also contributed three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

However, some basketball fans criticized the Denver guard despite his strong performance, accusing him of stat-padding as the outcome of the game was already decided before his late scoring surge in the final period.

"Padded his stats in garbage time," said a fan.

"Stat padding while losing," said another.

"Damn even Westbrook in garbage time isn't safe from despite the loss," commented another.

"bro he didn't do shit but sell until the game was out of hand," another user wrote.

"He was garbage until they were down 30 and benched everyone," a user wrote.

"24 points when it didn’t matter typical statpadding from Russ are we surprised," wrote another.

Russell Westbrook has been solid for Denver Nuggets

Russell Westbrook has thrived in his role off the bench for the Denver Nuggets, particularly over the last five games. The veteran point guard's energy, hustle and strong defensive play have consistently provided momentum-shifting contributions for the team in recent outings.

Over this five-game stretch, Westbrook is averaging 16.2 points on an efficient 47.5% shooting, including an impressive 50.0% from beyond the arc. He’s also contributing 4.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game during this period.

For the season, the former OKC Thunder star is averaging 12.3 points on 39.4% shooting, including a solid 38.3% from 3-point range. Additionally, he’s recording 4.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.