Denver Led at the Half on Gordon and the Bench. Oklahoma City Took the Rest
Denver's best half in Oklahoma City came from the players around a cold Jokic, and against this opponent the connectors can open a game but not finish it.
Denver led 48-44 at halftime in Oklahoma City and lost 84-96. Aaron Gordon finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds, but Nikola Jokic shot 3-of-13 in the first half, and the lead built by an 8-0 second-quarter run did not hold.
Where did the lead come from?
It came from the second quarter. Denver went on an 8-0 run from 29-28 to 37-28, the lead reached 9, and the Thunder called timeout down 39-30. The half had one lead change and no ties. Gordon carried the scoring: 12 points in 15 minutes on 3-of-4 shooting and 5-of-6 at the line, at +3. The bench scored only 7 points, but it won its minutes. DeMar DeRozan was +7 in 16 minutes and Marvin Bagley III +5 in 7. The stretches that held up were the ones where the ball kept moving among players who are not the system's center.
What did the last minute of the half show?
Jokic, Murray, Johnson, Braun and Trevon Brazile closed the half. At 48-42, Chet Holmgren blocked a Jokic tip, his third block, and Jokic then missed a three. Isaiah Hartenstein cut for a dunk off a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pass to make it 48-44, and Braun was called for an offensive foul with four seconds left. Oklahoma City's only basket of that minute came from a pass to a cutter. Denver's possessions in the same minute produced nothing.
Grades
Gordon, A-minus: the most efficient Nugget in the first half and the game's top Denver scorer at 20. DeRozan, B: 5 points and 2 turnovers, but the best plus-minus on the team, which says the groups around him connected. Jokic, C-minus: 1-of-7 from three in the half, offset by zero turnovers, and only -1 because the floor around him held. Murray, C: 2-of-9 with 6 rebounds and 2 turnovers, a half spent gathering misses rather than creating.
What it changes
Denver came in on five days of rest against a Thunder team on one, and it still faded. That makes the loss about the matchup, not fatigue. This was the third straight road game; New Orleans visits on Oct. 24, then Golden State on Oct. 26, before trips to New Orleans and Phoenix for an NBA Cup game. The starting five of Gordon, Jokic, Murray, Johnson and Braun was +13.5 together last season, and it has to close games the way the bench groups opened this one. Johnson's right ankle is on the injury report but did not keep him off the floor. Spencer Jones is out, with Oct. 24 as his expected return. Julian Strawther's left knee keeps him out until around Nov. 29.
Did the Nuggets lead the Thunder at halftime on Oct. 22?
Yes. Denver led 48-44 at the half after an 8-0 second-quarter run pushed the lead to 9, then lost 84-96.
When do the Nuggets play next?
Denver hosts the Pelicans on Oct. 24 and the Warriors on Oct. 26. Then it plays at New Orleans on Oct. 28 and at Phoenix in an NBA Cup game on Oct. 30.
