Subscribe
Follow Us
No lead is safe in this year’s NBA playoffs—unless the gap is nearly 50 points. On Wednesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder erased any chance of a repeat upset, dismantling David Adelman’s Denver Nuggets 149-106. After falling in Game 1, OKC answered with a dominant statement win, shutting the door early on any comeback hopes.
“We got punked,” said Adelman in his post-game interview. “We didn't play well enough. They came out with the right intensity, and we didn't. We're not gonna flush that. We've gotta be better, we know that… I would expect a much better effort from our guys Friday night in Denver.”
The game’s result was evident early in the third quarter and fully decided by its end. Nikola Jokic, who had dropped 42 in Game 1, finished with 17 points and six turnovers before fouling out late in the third, as Oklahoma City emptied its bench and wrapped up the blowout.
The Nuggets have struggled all season to win when they lose the minutes with Jokic on the floor. On Wednesday, they were outscored by 36 during his 32 minutes of action.
Former member of the Thunder Russell Westbrook led Denver with 19 points and 5 assists, going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line after drawing five fouls. He’s averaging 18.5 points on 50 percent shooting for the series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder dominate the Nuggets
The Thunder dominated as a unit, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remained the driving force. The MVP frontrunner dropped 34 points on 11-of-13 shooting, dished out eight assists, and set a play-by-play era NBA record with a staggering plus-51 in just 30 minutes.
The previous record of +46 was shared by LeBron James, Desmond Bane, and Jimmy Butler. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now stands alone, further solidifying his remarkable 2024-25 season—especially doing so against three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets.
Jalen Williams contributed 17 points and seven assists, while Chet Holmgren added 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals.
After a sluggish Game 1, Oklahoma City came out blazing in Game 2. They jumped to an 11-point lead just six minutes in, stretched it to 24 by the end of the first quarter, and by halftime, The Thunder led 87-56—setting an NBA playoff record for most points in a first half.
In that dominant first half, six Thunder players reached double figures while the team committed just two turnovers and outrebounded Denver 30-21. Oklahoma City didn’t let up after the break, pushing the lead to as much as 49 in the fourth. It was the same kind of overwhelming surge that defined their regular season, when they set the NBA record for scoring differential.
Though the Thunder evening the series at 1-1 was anticipated, the Nuggets, under David Adelman, remain in a favorable spot as they return to Denver for Games 3 and 4, despite the lopsided defeat.
