In this year's NBA playoffs, it's safe not to have a 20-point lead. The good news for the Oklahoma City Thunder is that the 49-point lead is still safe.
The Thunder were hurt in the Denver Nuggets team for three consecutive days, and they were sure to pay for it in their first game in three consecutive days of playoffs, with the Thunder assaulting them in Game 1 and surely paid for it in Wednesday’s OKC victory of 149-106. With the series now tied 1-1, both teams will head to Denver for the third game on Friday.
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The game worked in a few minutes in the third quarter, and by the end of the third quarter, Nikola Jokić made a foul and Thunder began to attract the starter.
"We're frustrated," Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman Tell reporters after the game.
It was OKC's overwhelming group effort, but the core was clearly Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. MVP's favorite (sorry Nuggets fans) scored 34 points in 13 goals with 13 assists and set an NBA game-by-game record with a score of 51 in 30 minutes.
After a slow start in Game 1, the Thunder hit Game 2 opening time like a bullet train.
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Six minutes into the first quarter, they rose 11 points. At the end of the first quarter, they rose by 24 points. By the break, they scored 87-56 and set an NBA playoff record in the first half.
That half of the Thunder players scored in double digits, with the team making two turnovers in total, while Denver surpassed Denver 30-21. They also kept pace in the second half, leading by up to 49 in the fourth quarter.
Throughout the regular season, we saw the Thunder release of the avalanche, ending the team's NBA record for scoring gaps.
In Game 1, Jokic became a star of the Nuggets again, with 42 points and 22 rebounds between the league's top MVP candidates. It was not going well in Game 2.
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The Thunder basically tried their best to make Jokić miserable, winning three MVPs, with 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 turnovers in 6 of 16 shots. He fouled in the third quarter and did not grow particularly defensively.
Winning a game has proven impossible this season when the Nuggets beat Jokić on the court. In his 32 minutes Wednesday, they scored 36 points.