OKLAHOMA CITY — To win in Shai’s house, the Nuggets’ margin for error will be minimal.
That’s true of their execution and their health. Injuries and missed shots finally caught up with Denver late in a 127-103 loss to the Thunder on Sunday afternoon.
In the first round of an MVP double bill to be continued Monday evening, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points to lead Oklahoma City. Nikola Jokic went for 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.
After aiding the Nuggets in an emphatic 14-3 run to start the game, Aaron Gordon exited with right calf tightness and didn’t return to the bench. He played only six minutes. The power forward’s departure represented a looming threat to Denver’s deep-playoff potential; Gordon has already missed more than 20 games this season for a strain in the same calf.
But the Nuggets kept fighting off Oklahoma City’s momentum, even without him. They fell behind by 10 early in the second half with a small lineup that struggled to defend without fouling. Then, slowly, they inched back with timely shots. On the Nuggets’ last possession of the third quarter, Jokic missed a desperate three at the shot-clock buzzer, but former Thunder legend Russell Westbrook snatched an offensive rebound and located Jamal Murray for a clutch three. It was 86-83 going to the fourth.
Michael Malone varied from his usual sub pattern by playing Jokic to start the final stanza. When he tried to sneak in a quick break for the center, the game went awry. Chet Holmgren seemed to catch Westbrook in the face with an elbow, causing a turnover as Westbrook hit the deck. No foul was called, and Westbrook remained seated on the floor while Holmgren cashed in a dunk at the other end.
Malone picked up a technical for arguing the call, and OKC went up 10 a possession later.
This was Jokic’s first look at the Thunder’s double-big lineup after newcomer Isaiah Hartenstein had been injured for both matchups in Denver earlier this season. Oklahoma City single-covered Jokic with Hartenstein, but when the reigning MVP got deep in the paint, Holmgren was able to help over and make it nearly impossible for Jokic to get shots over both 7-footers. Once Holmgren checked out of the game, Jokic had very little trouble with Hartenstein, scoring nine in the last four minutes of the first quarter.
The only missing piece was his usual 3-point touch. After he took a spill trying to back down Hartenstein, he seemed irritated by his elbow throughout a 2-for-10 day from the 3-point line. His teammates struggled to make jumpers, too. Porter did most of his work in the paint, attacking close-outs, cutting and even driving between Holmgren and Alex Caruso for a tough layup. Murray cooled off for the first time in a month, shooting 1 for 5 after averaging 26.5 on 53% beyond the arc in his previous 11 games.
When the game was on the verge of slipping away in the second quarter, Christian Braun reignited the team’s engine, at least temporarily. After sinking consecutive 3s, he completed a Jokician kick-out assist to Porter in transition then pointed to a courtside fan.
That highlight was preceded by one of Jokic’s finest defensive moments, a block against Gilgeous-Alexander at the rim. Within a minute, Gilgeous-Alexander punched back by scoring over Jokic and drawing a foul on the break. The elusive guard was also able to get his numbers despite a wonky outside shooting performance (2 of 11).
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