OKC Bench Attempts Comeback in Loss to Nuggets
In another furious second-half comeback, the Thunder came up just short. Denver was able to hold off OKC, escaping with a 99-95 win. Nikola Jokic led all scorers with 22 points to go along with 18 rebounds.
From the beginning of the game, OKC's starters struggled to find much rhythm offensively. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort, who lead the Thunder in scoring this season, combined to shoot 1-for-12 on the night.
The Thunder got an impressive 48 points from the reserves on the night, with all six players scoring seven or more points.
Darius Bazley continued his impressive play off the bench, as the Thunder forward added 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Aaron Wiggins and Kenrich Williams played massive fourth quarter minutes down the stretch, each contributing eight points.
Gilgeous-Alexander had another rough night, going just 2-for-14 from the floor. The Kentucky product had one of his quietest nights of the season, scoring just eight points. Gilgeous-Alexander also had the worst plus/minus rating on the night, finishing the game sitting at minus-15.
The Thunder opened up the game falling behind 22-4 in the first quarter, having to work the rest of the game to claw itself out of that hole.
Oklahoma City was able to weather the storm late in the first quarter, cutting Denver’s lead to 36-23.
In the third quarter, the Thunder started its huge run. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Lu Dort and Josh Giddey combined for 25 of the Thunder's 29 points in the quarter sparking a massive run. OKC seemed to settle in and find good shots on the offensive end resulting into easy 3-point baskets.
Giddey, who continues to shoot the ball well, displayed his continued improvement once again tonight. The Australian product knocked down three triples at a 60 percent clip.
Dort led the Thunder in scoring on the night, adding 14 points and five rebounds. Even he struggled to shoot, though, going just 4-for-13.
The Nuggets shot 10-of-18 from 3-point land in the first half, but finished the night just 13-of-36. OKC really tightened things up defensively in the second half, giving them a chance to win the game late.
While the Thunder led by five with 4:27, missed shots plagued OKC down the stretch. Multiple Thunder starters missed a few wide-open looks and Denver was able to take advantage.
For the Thunder, this marks the third straight game of having a comeback too little too late. OKC continues to find itself in insurmountable holes and has been playing catch up too much lately. This team has fight, and they have a competitive spirit, but to see that translate to the win column they will have to play a complete game.
Oklahoma City (13-26) will be back in action Tuesday, as they will face-off against the Wizards on the road at 6 p.m.
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