The Denver Nuggets basketball team experienced an unprecedented debacle in the second game of the Western Conference NBA playoff semifinals. Oklahoma tied the series at 1-1 after decisively defeating the Nuggets at the Paycom Center with a score of 149-106.

In this game, the Thunder showed why many consider them the main favorites for the title. After a shocking loss at the start of the semifinal series, a fierce response followed from the best team in the league this season.

After a magnificent triumph in the first game, the Nuggets played their worst game of the season. Not even the best player on the planet could help them avoid disaster. Unfortunately, Nikola Jokić also blended into the grayness of his team. Nothing went his way; he shot 6/16 from the field (2/4 for three points) – a dismal 37.5% by his standards, had as many as six turnovers, and due to six personal fouls, he finished the game already at the end of the third quarter.

In a game to forget, he had 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. It was clear that with such a player rotation, Denver would find it difficult to repeat the fantastic performance from the first game in a short period, but no one expected such a catastrophe.

Denver’s defense was non-existent in the first half. The Thunder scored a staggering 87 points in the first half, thus writing NBA history. Never before has a team scored so many points in a half of a playoff game. The Thunder played brilliantly on defense, completely shutting down the Nuggets’ main stars, and everything went their way on offense. As many as six of their players had double-digit scores after the first half, which they won by an unreal 31-point difference (87-57).

In the first quarter, the Thunder scored 45 points, breaking a franchise record and tying the overall record for points in a single playoff quarter.

The Thunder didn’t “pull the handbrake” in the remainder of the game either; they were determined to humiliate their rival as much as possible. Denver continued to struggle to score, so the home team’s lead grew minute by minute. To make matters worse, the Nuggets were left without their best player, Nikola Jokić, at the end of the third quarter, who had to leave the game due to six fouls. In the end – a 43-point difference in favor of the Thunder – 149-106.

Russell Westbrook was the most effective player for Denver with 19 points, Murray added 14, and Aaron Gordon scored 10 points.

On the other hand, Oklahoma had as many as eight players with double-digit scores, and the most effective was Jokić’s main competitor for the MVP award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with 34 points. The Canadian had a fantastic 11/13 shooting from the field (1/2 for three, 11/11 free throws). In addition, he recorded eight assists and four rebounds. A disgrace that Jokić and his team will remember for a long time.

The series now moves to Denver. The next game is scheduled for the night between Friday and Saturday at 04:00 our time.

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Source: Kurir sport Photo: Imagn Images / ddp USA /Profimedia

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