The Denver Nuggets have shaken off their slow start to the season by picking up their third-straight win after a 2-3 start, defeating the unbeaten OKC Thunder 124-122 in a hard-fought game at the Ball Arena in Denver.
The Nuggets received four massive performances from their starters, led by Nikola Jokic’s monster triple-double of 23 points (9-20 FG), 20 rebounds, and 16 assists. Russell Westbrook led the team in scoring with 29 points (10-15 FG, 3-4 3PT) in his best game of the season, while Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points (7-16 FG) of his own with seven rebounds. Christian Braun also had a season-high 24 points (7-14 FG) along with eight rebounds.
The Thunder were led by Jalen Williams‘ notching 29 points (11-20 FG), 10 rebounds, and nine assists in what would be his first triple-double of the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points (10-19 FG) and six assists in the loss while Chet Holmgren struggled to replicate his opening night performance against Jokic, putting up 15 points (5-14 FG) and 10 rebounds.
The Thunder looked unbeatable until they visited Denver for their second matchup of the season, and here are our key takeaways from this clash.
The Nuggets Have The Best Player In The World
Nikola Jokic is reinforcing the fact that he’s the best player in basketball this season with his workload being heavily increased after the Nuggets’ rotational depth was reduced in recent seasons. This game was proof of Jokic’s standing as the best player in the world, defeating the best team in the West by orchestrating the Nuggets offense the entire night and ending up with 23 points, 20 rebounds, 16 assists, two steals, and two blocks in a two-point game where he was a +8.
Jokic is averaging 28.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 11.0 assists this season, on pace to become the second active player to have averaged a triple-double over a season alongside teammate Russell Westbrook, who has achieved the feat four times.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entered this game being widely tipped for MVP after leading OKC to a 7-0 record with sensational two-way play, but Jokic reminded the world that nobody has taken the crown of being the best player in the world away from him just yet.
The three-time and reigning MVP might not be eyeing awards to validate his status in the NBA, but leading Denver to another 50+ win season after their roster issues would be the stuff of legends.
Russell Westbrook’s Sensational Game
With Jamal Murray out injured, the Nuggets started the misfiring Russell Westbrook, who came into the game averaging 10.0 points on 28.8% from the field. He set the tone for the Nuggets in this game, showing his former franchise in OKC that he’s still capable of being one of the best guards in the NBA if his shot is falling.
Westbrook (29 points, six rebounds, six assists) played wonderfully within the Nuggets offensive system, not ball-stopping possessions which often end up backfiring on the franchise. Today, everything he was doing seemingly led to positive results, especially offensively.
The times Westbrook was on the floor as the sole ball-handler didn’t go well for Denver, as he was a -14 in the game, but he’s playing alongside Jokic extremely effectively. Russ cooled off in the second half of the contest, showing that the Nuggets can’t expect performances like this from him regularly.
Thankfully, they got the performance when they needed it most against the best team in the West when their starting point guard and starting power forward were both injured.
The Bench Is Still An Issue
Not everything in this game was a major positive for Denver, as their bench looked lackluster in their minutes. Denver only had three players come off the bench for a November regular-season game, reinforcing the team’s current injury issues along with their general lack of depth on their roster. Playing an eight-man rotation in November rarely ends well, but the Nuggets didn’t have any other choice.
Homegrown prospects Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson, and Zeke Nnaji received minutes tonight, with Strawther being the only one with a positive impact. He had nine points, five rebounds, and six assists with a green light on any shot he wanted to take, going 3-11 from the field. The Nuggets trusted him and he was aggressive on the court, but he was the only net-positive bench player.
Tyson and Nnaji combined for five points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes of action, both having a negative net rating in the loss. Summer signing Dario Saric has already lost his spot in the rotation and was a DNP tonight, showing the lack of trust Micahel Malone has in the production he’s been getting from his rotation.
They caught lightning in a bottle tonight by going (47.1 FG%) from the field and (42.1 3P%) in this game against the best defense in the NBA while getting incredible production from their starters. This isn’t a strategy they can rely on to continue getting wins over the elite teams in the NBA, but they’ll be happy with this W.
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