The Denver Nuggets got tipped off for the second day in a row against the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight, and were given the opportunity to show that they can hang with the big dogs of the league. After the dusting that got put on them last night? They wanted to come out and prove something, though they were dealt a blow before the game as Aaron Gordon was ruled out due to a calf injury. That marks his third calf injury of the season, and anticipate the team to be cautionary in their approach with him.
First Quarter
Despite that, the Nuggets were able to have a strong first quarter on offense. They were able to hang 34 points on the league’s best defense thanks to contributions from all of the big three that played. Jamal Murray was making shots and making plays, Michael Porter Jr. found ways to make impactful plays off the ball and had a nice pass that led to a Peyton Watson transition jam, and Nikola Jokic was Nikola Jokic. The defense on the other hand? Left quite a bit to be desired! They allowed 32 points in the first frame and had a hard time guarding Isaiah Hartenstein specifically. Jokic should’ve done more defensively.
Second Quarter
The second quarter was more ebb and flow than the first. The first frame was relatively back and forth, but the second was, as they say, a game of runs. The Nuggets took a little four point lead at 47-43, but the Thunder rattled off a 28-12 run to push their lead to 71-58. This came after a series of threes from the Thunder’s supporting cast like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso. As well as buckets from Jalen Williams and, of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After that, though, Nikola Jokic locked in and got the Nuggets to go on a small run to close the gap to just 6 by half time. The Nuggets found themselves going in to the half down 67-73.
Third Quarter
The third quarter was just a pure battle. The two teams went back and forth, sparring the whole time. Whenever one team had a good play, one for the other was sure to follow. The Nuggets got off to a good start in this game in large part because of Jamal Murray. Jamal had played well all game, with 16 points coming in the first half alone. He got the Nuggets started with a three pointer, then a pull-up midrange jumper. He followed those two up with a finger roll to stop a promising Thunder run. That gave Christian Braun the opportunity to get going more than he had all night. He went 0-3 from the field, with just 2 points to his name at the end of the first half. In the third quarter alone, he had 9 points and a couple assists. By the end of the third frame, Jamal Murray also had 27, and Nikola Jokic 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Thunder kept pace well, though, and the Nuggets only held a two point lead going into the final frame. 101-99.
Fourth Quarter
The final frame was the inverse from last night’s game. While last night saw the Thunder ride out victorious, tonight saw the Nuggets leave Paycom Arena with a game in the win column. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were just excellent. They combined for 69 points on 42 shots. The championship winning duo closed out against the top seed in the West. Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., and Russell Westbrook all finished with double digit points on the night. Peyton Watson in specific had 4 shots from beyond the arc fall, which was a great way to reestablish why he’s important to this team and their ceiling.
Nuggets win 140-127.
