Following a stunning victory for the Denver Nuggets in Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed a win tonight at the Paycom Center to avoid falling behind in the NBA Western Semifinals. With everything they had, OKC rallied together to defend homecourt, and results worked out in their favor with a 114-76 blowout win.
The story of the game was an elite first half for the Thunder, who combined to drop 87 points in the first 24 minutes of play. With a massive double-digit lead at halftime, the Thunder had full control of the game in practically no time at all, but they never let up on the aggression or intensity. The final score (149-106) wasn’t even close and put the Thunder in a position to take all the momentum in the series.
As the NBA’s MVP frontrunner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved his case tonight with 34 points, four rebounds, and eight assists on 84.6% shooting. Young swingman Jalen Williams dropped 17 points, four rebounds, and seven assists while big man Chet Holmgren finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks on 66.7% shooting from three.
For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic tried in vain to stop the bleeding with 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the loss. Jamal Murray finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist on 44.4% shooting while Russell Westbrook dropped 19 points, one rebound, and five assists on 45.5% shooting off the bench.
After watching the Cleveland Cavaliers go down 0-2 yesterday, the Thunder wanted to make a statement early on that they would not go down without a fight. Even with the series tied at 1-1, heading to the Ball Arena, OKC can feel good about their chances to win, and some fans believe they found something tonight that will set up their success for the rest of the series.
SGA Outplayed Jokic
As the two leading MVP candidates this season, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will determine the fate of this series, and their play certainly determined the results in Game 2. This game, unlike Jokic’s 42-point performance on Monday, it was Shai who won the battle and led his team to victory.
In 30 minutes tonight, SGA finished with 34 points, four rebounds, and eight assists on 84.6% shooting. He was a game-high +51 on the court in a completely unstoppable scoring run, and now he’s got the Nuggets are scrambling for answers.
After watching his team lose in the Conference Semifinals last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is determined not to let his team suffer the same fate again. With a 5-1 record in the postseason this year, the Thunder are off to a great start, and SGA is determined not to let it go to waste.
Red Hot Shooting For OKC
The Thunder dropped a whopping 149 points tonight, which is the highest of the NBA playoffs so far this year. With the offense firing on all cylinders, the Thunder got off to a running start in the first half, building a 31-point lead that carried them all night.
Eight different players scored in double figures for the Thunder, including all five starters, who combined to score 92 of the team’s points. As a team, the OKC shot 56.2% from the field, 44.4% from three, and 91.7% from the free-throw line in an elite shooting display.
Shooting like they did tonight, it would have been tough for the Thunder to lose this game, but it remains to be seen if it will carry over into Game 3. If Oklahoma City can somehow replicate this offensive performance in hostile territory, it may be enough to swing the series once and for all.
Dysfunctional Nuggets Offense
With Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets are normally one of the most efficient offensive teams in the league. Tonight, however, the Nuggets shot just 37.9% in an abysmal shooting effort. Russell Westbrook was their leading scorer with just 19 points, while Nikola Jokic scored just 17 on a measly 37.5% shooting.
Defensively, the Thunder used their size and frontcourt depth to disrupt the Nuggets’ flow, and it prevented them from gaining any kind of traction or momentum in the game. By the final buzzer, the Nuggets committed 20 turnovers, which translated to 34 points for the Thunder.
In the wake of Michael Malone’s firing, the Nuggets are playing with a different identity this year, and there are clearly some growing pains early on as they continue to adjust to the playoff environment. To beat the Thunder, however, the Nuggets will need to be nearly perfect offensively to match the overwhelming firepower from the best team in the West.
Locked in a 1-1 stalemate, the series is still anyone’s to win for now, but after their convincing win in Game 2, it’s looking like the Nuggets will have their hands full trying to take down SGA and company. In Friyda’s pivotal Game 3, anything can happen, but the Thunder will surely be favored in the matchup after flashing their potential in their latest blowout win.
