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The Denver Nuggets triumphantly opened their Western Conference Finals series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, and Russell Wilson was in attendance to see the action.
The Nuggets withstood a fourth-quarter rally by the Lakers behind excellent performances by star center Nikola Jokic and guard Jamal Murray, who was returning to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2020
During the game, ESPN cameras caught Broncos quarterback Wilson clapping as the Nuggets led 44-27:
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However, fans on Twitter had something else in mind when they realized his presence. One said:
"Hopefully he learns something about winning"
Here are the top reactions on Twitter:
What happened in Game 1 of Lakers-Nuggets Conference Finals?
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was, for the most part, shaping up to be a rout, as Jokic and Murray helped Denver to a 72-54 heading into the break. In fact, the Serbian center had three more rebounds then the entire Lakers squad and also had a block on Anthony Davis.
Halfway through the third quarter, Jokic found Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who sank a 12-foot jumper to give the Nuggets a 90-70 lead, the biggest in the game. The Lakers fought back to reduce the deficit to 11, but Jokic responded by beating the buzzer with a three-pointer over Davis.
The Lakers finally woke up in the fourth quarter, with Austin Reaves leading the way with three three-pointers as they finally found themselves down just three, 124-127. LeBron James put his squad in the same position later with a pair of free throws, 126-129, but he missed a three-pointer and was stripped of the ball by Murray during a drive.
Jokic had a triple-double for the night, with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists. Murray, Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter Jr. combined for 67 points, while Bruce Brown came off the bench for 16.
For the Lakers, Davis led with 40 points and 10 rebounds. James had 26 and 12 but was scoreless from the three, while Reaves had 23 points, 15 of them from the distance.
Will Russell Wilson and Denver Broncos return to playoffs in 2023?
While the Nuggets are savoring their first win in a WCF opener, the Broncos are still figuring out how to make it back to the playoffs, as the tweets above imply.
Last year, Wilson shocked fans by struggling on the field, as he and his team finished last in the AFC West, despite massive expectations. Now they have opted for a coaching change, ditching Nathaniel Hackett for former Saints leader Sean Payton.
Payton has decided to bolster the Broncos' passing game with Marquez Callaway, who had been a key offensive weapon during his final years in New Orleans. Callaway joins Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and rookie Marvin Mims. The Broncos will hope that they can serve Wilson well and lead tham back to the top of their division.
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