The Los Angeles Lakers finally got the proverbial monkey off their backs, notching their first win of the season over the Denver Nuggets. One huge reason for the win was the stellar play of Russell Westbrook.

The former MVP came off the bench for the second consecutive game, and was the clear spark that the Lakers needed to seal the victory. Westbrook finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists while also being very efficient on offense. Brodie made 6 of 12 shots, splitting his four attempts from beyond the arc and connecting on all four of his free throws.

It's one thing to decide to play Russell Westbrook off the bench, but it's another matter entirely to convince him to buy into the decision. That's where Darvin Ham's well-respected stature as a coach played a factor, as he spoke on the merits of taking on the role when he sat down with Russ about it.

“I told him…'Believe in me, bro. I'm gonna put you in a position to succeed…But you have to put the group first. It cant be about Me or I or Mine. Its gotta be Us, Ours, We,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he told Russell Westbrook, via ClutchPoints' Michael Corvo.

The energy inside Crypto.com Arena was different on Sunday night, and so was the energy emanating from Westbrook. He played free and ferociously like he does on his best days, which led to becoming the Lakers' biggest net positive on the evening.