Denver Nuggets Bench Boss Gives Honest Review of Game 2

The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Denver Nuggets in a key second-round series that was knotted up at 1-1 after the Thunder's counterpunch in Game 2. Nuggets head coach David Adelman issued an honest review.

May 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman looks at the scoreboard during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

You could not script two more polar opposite feelings from Game 1 to Game 2 for the Denver Nuggets if you tried.

The No. 4-seeded Nuggets hopped on a bird to head to Oklahoma City to take on the No. 1-seeded Thunder fresh off of Saturday's Game 7 win against the LA Clippers in the first round.

Meanwhile, the Bricktown Ballers enjoyed a nine-day layoff after making quick work of the Memphis Grizzlies in a series that only lasted the minimum.

With the rest, talent, and home court advantage aiding the Thunder, it was a foregone conclusion that the Nuggets would take one on the chin in the series opener and hope to rally in Game 2 to earn a split.

Instead, the never-say-die Nuggets, who are no strangers to battling adversity this season, opted to dig deep and steal Game 1 from underneath the spry-and-spunky Thunder. Oklahoma City fumbled the game away, blowing a 14-point lead with a backfiring foul-up-three strategy.

Denver entered Game 2 feeling good, having already done the job of a road team in this spot –– securing a series-split before returning home –– but those delighted days didn't last when the ball was tipped on Wednesday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder landed a counterpunch and threw its knockout blow before intermission en route to a 149-106 beatdown of the Denver Nuggets.

Postgame, interim head coach David Adelman was peppered with questions about the team's lack of competitiveness on getaway day in Oklahoma City.

“We got punked,” Adelman explained flatly. “We didn’t play well enough, and they came out with the right intensity, and we didn’t. I thought we let some open shots early in the game affect how we played defensively. This is a team that does that."

The Nuggets' bench boss was thorough in his praise for the Oklahoma City Thunder after this young team responded in an unfamiliar setting.

“There’s a reason why they have historic plus-minus numbers throughout this season," Adelman continued. "They put people away. So you’ve got to have a much better start than that. We can’t come out with that kind of mentality. I’m not sitting here tonight talking about the 1-1 thing. Not tonight. We’re not going to flush that. We’ve got to be better. We know that.”

Denver has been there, done that, though. Not only have the Nuggets already bagged a title with this core but just look at the last series. After the Clippers railroaded the Nuggets, 117-83, Denver responded by rattling off three more wins to grab the series at the finish line.

This best-of-seven set is far from over between these two Northwest Division foes. It is merely getting started as things shift to Denver for Game 3.