OKC Thunder Get A Gut-Check Game 1, Must Respond in Game 2

There's an old saying back in Lawton, OK. Probably in Oklahoma City, too. "Don't cry over spilled milk."

Well, the entire gallon splattered on the floor on Monday night when the Thunder were attempting to put the groceries away and a bow on a Game 1 win. Oklahoma City had a pearl-clutching collapse in the final 15 seconds of this game to allow the Nuggets to steal the opening game of this best-of-7 set.

Fouling up three is a smart decision, one that this scribe stands by in a vacuum. But the Thunder did so far too early, made even worse by triggering a foul on Aaron Gordon 70 feet from the basket with the best player in the world on Denver's sideline with no timeouts for the Nuggets to make up for having him on the pine.

Not to mention, Gordon's only chance to push the pace was to toss an outlet pass to Russell Westbrook and Payton Watson for a chance at a triple –– you'll take those odds if you are OKC. Instead, the Thunder placed an 81% free-throw shooter on the charity stripe, let Nikola Jokic return to the game and flipped the pressure point to Oklahoma City's direction.

Chet Holmgren clanked a pair of free throws, the Nuggets added to its lopsided rebounding edge, and Gordon continued to play the part of a hero winning the game with a 3-pointer down two. (Side note: A foul up two would have been completely unconventional but is the next wave of foul up three simply foul when its a two point game to ensure over time? I digress).

OKC made mistakes throughout the 48 minute game that ended up costing them. Of course, the final 15 ticks are heightened, but it wasn't the sole reason. Most notably, this young team failed to close the second, third and fourth quarters strong. Which led to a Nuggets comeback, erasing a 14 point deficit.

There is no magic wand to wave and get a Game 1 redux. Hindsight is 20/20 and Oklahoma City has to regroup on a quick turnaround for Game 2.

"It's the playoffs. We have to embrace it. We have to embrace the struggle of the playoffs. We have to embrace the adversity of the playoffs. The playoffs are a mountain to climb. It's not gonna be easy for anybody," Head Coach Mark Daigneault explained following Game 1. "We kinda coasted through the first round. It was challenging in the games but we had control in the whole series time but no one just walks their way through a series at this point in the season. Credit Denver, they were the better team tonight. We can learn from it. We need to execute it better. But it's a series and the first to four."

This is a young Thunder team, the youngest squad in the NBA Playoffs field. Oklahoma City has not been battled-tested, they do not have the scars, they haven't been in situation to repond before –– especially after Game 1. Entering Monday, this core was 3-0 after the opening game of a series.

"We're gonna find out what we're made of, what we're really made of. We couldn't expect it to be smooth sailing this whole journey. No journey in life is and we know that... It's about how you respond to getting knocked down," Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said postseason.

Wednesday will determine what the Thunder are made of. Sure, it isn't a must-win game mathmatically but it surely is a can't lose contest.

Late game blunder aside, a lot of things must improve for Oklahoma City. While admittedly a ton of pressure to place on a pair of youngsters, the Thunder's co-stars of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams have to be better for OKC to reach its goals.

In the fourth quarter, the Thunder's No. 2 and No. 3 option combined for 8 points on 2-of-9 shooting to include and 0-for-4 outing from distance in the final 12 minutes. Its totals aren't much better. The Gonzaga product posted a mere 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a jaw-dropping four blocks. The Santa Clara product turned in a meek 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks, including a potential game-saving swat at the rim that was wiped away by OKC's collapse.

It wasn't all bad from that duo, which should give OKC confidence to respond. Williams did his job leading the secondary units with Gilgeous-Alexander off the floor, extending the Thunder's lead with the superstar off the floor to start the second and fourth quarters. It was the lack of help he provided with the league's scoring champion on the floor that spurned the Bricktown ballers.

Oklahoma City has to clean up its porous 71% at the charity stripe, down from its league-best 81.9% at the line in the regular season. The Thunder have to finally, for the first time in the playoffs, shoot the ball well from the 3-point line a feat both teams struggled with in Game 1. Most importantly, OKC can not afford to be outworked, outmanned, out-hussled on the glass to the tune of a 72-53 rebounding edge for Denver.

"A lot of stuff, that is what it is all about. There is always some stuff you can get better at, we have seen a lot of stuff [on film] that we can get better at," Lu Dort said at practice Tuesday. "There is so many stuff I could name, but just compete, it is a 48 minute game. Play the whole game. It is going to be a lot of ups and downs, lot of runs, we just gotta stay together and do everything we gotta do to win the game."

The pressure, the battle, the opportunity to shift narratives is here. What will the Thunder do with it? Only time will tell.