The Denver Nuggets had chances to make this a different night against Oklahoma City. Instead, the game turned on the things they could not clean up: loose ball handling, shaky shot creation, and an offense that never found a steady pulse. Denver shot the same overall percentage as the Thunder and even won the rebounding battle, but the 96-84 loss still landed hard because the Nuggets handed over possession after possession.
That was the biggest story of the night. Denver’s 22 turnovers gave Oklahoma City too many extra chances, and the Thunder made those mistakes sting by turning them into 21 points. The Nuggets also finished with just 17 assists, five fewer than Oklahoma City, which tells you how often the offense stalled before it ever really got moving.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were right at the center of that problem. The two players Denver leans on most both had rough nights, and the numbers were ugly.
Jokic finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while going 5-19 from the field and 1-7 from three-point range. He also had two turnovers.
Murray had an even tougher time, scoring six points on 2-11 shooting and committing six turnovers in 37 minutes.
Denver can survive an off night from one of those stars. It cannot keep up with an elite defense when both are struggling at the same time.
Aaron Gordon did what he could, scoring 20 points on 6-9 shooting, but his efficiency wasn’t enough to carry the whole offense. The Nuggets needed more from the players around their two main engines, and they didn’t get it.
The supporting cast had some bright spots, just not enough of them. Cameron Johnson scored five points on 2-3 shooting, and Christian Braun added seven points on 3-10 shooting.
On the bench, DeMar DeRozan put up 13 points, Ryan Nembhard chipped in five, and Marvin Bagley III battled on the glass with 12 rebounds, including three offensive boards. Even with that help, Denver still shot 31-82 from the field and made only eight of 30 from deep.
The rebounding numbers were one of the few encouraging signs. Denver grabbed 53 boards, including 19 on the offensive end, and finished seven rebounds ahead of Oklahoma City.
But the Thunder kept forcing the issue in other ways. They had 12 steals, nine blocks, and kept the Nuggets from turning those extra possessions into anything meaningful.
Oklahoma City did not need a scorching shooting night to control the game. The Thunder shot 37.9% from the field and 26% from three, yet still won comfortably because their defense kept squeezing Denver at every turn.
Chet Holmgren was a major part of that with 12 points, 17 rebounds, and four blocks. Cason Wallace added four steals, and Alex Caruso gave them seven points, five assists, and a steal in 20 minutes.
Denver also had trouble getting anything easy. The Thunder outscored the Nuggets 46-36 in the paint and won the fast-break points battle 10-2. That combination of pressure, disruption, and turnover creation made the difference.
The Nuggets have enough talent to stand with Oklahoma City. But this game made one thing clear: if Jokic and Murray are off, and if Denver keeps coughing up the ball, that talent alone won’t be enough.
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Shai Has Extra Reason To Bring It Against The Clippers
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For Gilgeous-Alexander, the date has a little extra edge because of who is across the floor, and the Thunder will need him to set the tone if they want to keep the early momentum rolling. Holmgrens impact has already given Oklahoma City a different kind of ceiling, while Mitchell is still working to make his scoring more steady, leaving this as one of those early-season tests that can tell a little more about where the rotation stands. [Read more 🡒]