After a ton of buildup and three excellent quarters, the Denver Nuggets let go of the rope.
Heading into the fourth quarter with the Oklahoma City Thunder leading by three points, the Thunder outscored the Nuggets 41-20 in what was eventually a 127-103 blowout loss.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 40 points, taking a higher volume of shots than normal to get there but still taking over in the fourth quarter when it counted. Denver had no answers for SGA when he got going downhill, and only a below average three-point shooting day (2-of-11 from three) prevented SGA from flirting with another 50-piece.
Nikola Jokic had merely 24 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists on his side of the MVP battle, shooting just 10-of-23 from the field and 2-of-10 from three himself. It looked like Jokic was heading for a big night, but after falling directly on his right shooting elbow late in the first quarter, Jokic showed some visible discomfort that affected his game from there.
Nikola Jokic was holding his right elbow after being fouled by Isaiah Hartenstein on this playpic.twitter.com/OI73zIvWzs
— Digits Sports App (@Digits3App) March 9, 2025
Jokic was short on almost every shot he attempted from then on out, and his level of aggressiveness downshifted. It’s unfortunate, and it’s going to sound like an excuse, but that definitely played a part.
In addition to Jokic’s elbow, Aaron Gordon missed the rest of the game with right calf tightness after playing just seven minutes in the first quarter. It was the same calf Gordon’s hurt twice previously, and if Gordon’s forced out for extended time, that could play a factor in the playoffs.
Either way, the Nuggets had other guys step up in place of Jokic and Gordon in the first three quarters. Both Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun made plays on both ends of the floor. Porter had 24 points and 15 rebounds on the game, a really impressive night for him overall as he handled the physicality and handsy play of the OKC guards and wings. Braun had 19 points on 8-of-15 from the field and 3-of-5 from three, following up Friday night’s performance with another strong scoring outing.
Unfortunately, Denver simply didn’t get enough production from Jamal Murray and the bench unit. Murray had 17 points on 17 shots, and though his defense was good in the first half, it got progressively worse as the game went on. He also had pretty reasonable shots in this one that just didn’t go down at the level they needed to for Denver to keep pace with the Thunder machine.
Jalen Pickett led the Nuggets bench with 7 points in 16 minutes. The fact that he was productive and helpful was good, but between Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson, and Zeke Nnaji, the Nuggets didn’t get enough scoring. Westbrook was extremely helpful in other areas and hustled on the glass, grabbing seven offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive. Nnaji was solid defensively. Watson was a non-factor in just six minutes.
Whereas the Thunder kept hitting the Nuggets with wave after wave of energy and intensity in a game that clearly mattered to them, the Nuggets ran out of gas after three quarters, getting doubled up in the fourth quarter by a team that went 11 deep throughout the game.
Different Weight Class
The MVP storyline will get all of the run. I think SGA outplayed Jokic by a smidge in this game. Not by a ton. Jokic was very good in a variety of categories and had four stocks all the same. SGA took 32 shots to get to 40 points. Denver can live with that.
What they can’t live with is the gap between these two teams on the details (and the end of the bench).
OKC got to the free throw line 25 times and made 88% of them. Denver got there 20 times and shot 11-of-20. That’s a six-point gap.
OKC committed five turnovers and allowed nine points off those mistakes. Denver only committed seven but allowed 16 points off those turnovers. That’s a seven-point gap.
In a matchup where Aaron Gordon played seven minutes, where Jokic clearly wasn’t right after the fall he took, Denver’s margins aren’t just those players’ shots, it’s the 13 points Denver lost on their own inexact nature. Change that and it’s an 11-point game at the end. Then, you can start worrying about getting healthy and Murray making more shots and things like that.
But that’s what OKC does. They win the turnover battle. They win the battle of the details. It’s why they’ve won 53 games on the season, 12 more than anyone else in the Western Conference.
Denver was in their weight class last year. In the regular season so far, the Nuggets are NOT in OKC’s tier. That doesn’t mean Denver can’t turn this matchup around in the playoffs, but in order for Denver to be successful, they’ve got to be better in the areas they can control and trust that the shotmaking will come when they need it to be there.
These two teams play again tomorrow. My guess is that if Gordon is out, the Nuggets will rest Jokic too. That puts Denver in an uncomfortable position. Maybe they should just rest everyone that they can.
The reality is: OKC will probably win. They’re a better team. Denver’s got 18 more games this regular season to figure out how they can change that reality.
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Denver Nuggets blown out in fourth quarter by Oklahoma City Thunder in MVP battle Mile High Sports.
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