After two first away victories, the Thunder played their first match of the season at home. The opponent? The Nuggets, defending champions, also winners of their first two outings.
The poster therefore looked promising but Nikola Jokic’s troupe mainly took the opportunity to teach a lesson.
Chet Holmgren nevertheless scored the first 7 points for his team, by removing Nikola Jokic from the racket, the Serb not liking to multiply such movements too much. The problem for Oklahoma City, is that the first minutes will set the tone of the match for Shai Gilgeous-Alexandertargeted by Aaron Gordon on defense and who takes two quick fouls, struggling to find openings (and throws) on offense.
The Canadian was 0/6 at the end of the first quarter, which the Nuggets won 34-23. Nikola Jokic presses him inside on Chet Holmgrenwho has difficulty resisting the physical impact of the double MVP.
Hyper-concentrated defensively, notably on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to whom they offer no space, and whom Kentavious Caldwell-Pope disrupts a lot, the Nuggets thus gradually widen the gap, behind in particular the baskets of Michael Porter Jr. or even by Jamal Murray.
Denver thus maintained its lead around twenty points throughout the second half, pushing both coaches to rotate quickly in the fourth quarter. However, the Nuggets’ replacements did not take their foot off the accelerator, finishing the match at +33 (128-95), like Peyton Watson at 17 points.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The bludgeoning of Nikola Jokic. Big opposition in style between Chet Holmgren who wanted to overtake Nikola Jokic while the latter bludgeoned his opponent under the circle. The rookie even finished a sequence on the ground, after taking the double MVP’s elbow in the face. A sequence which ultimately sums up his evening against the Nuggets playing master, who led the charge to pound the Oklahoma City racket.
– The lack of shooters in Oklahoma City. That’s the biggest fear about this talented Thunder roster. The 19% 3-point success rate (6/32) in this match clearly shows the absence of regular shooters for Mark Daigneault, and when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes through it, that doesn’t forgive…
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Nikola Jokic. Overtaken by Chet Holmgren at the start of the match, the Serb also lost a few balls and quickly seemed to run out of steam. He quickly knew how to find the solution by taking advantage of his physical advantage over the opposing rookie to finish with 28 points at 12/16, 14 rebounds and 5 assists.
✅ Michael Porter Jr. Calvin Booth’s comments already seem light years away. Concentrated, the winger punished the Thunder at the slightest opportunity. 20 points and 9 rebounds in 25 minutes.
✅ Peyton Watson. If the Nuggets let Bruce Brown go, it’s because they thought they had even better internally with Peyton Watson. And this match is the illustration of what Denver expects from the sophomore, author of 17 points and 4 rebounds with a big defensive impact and great intelligence around Nikola Jokic.
⛔ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 7 points at 2/16 shooting and 7 assists. The Canadian was enormously hampered by the physical density of the Nuggets defenders, who did not let him breathe, and who above all defended without committing any mistakes. Impossible for him to find rhythm and free throws.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
