Can the Nuggets Take Back This Series?
After Aaron Gordon’s game-winning shot that went viral across the NBA community, hopes were high for the Denver Nuggets as they once again stepped foot into the Paycom Center, this time with the hope of gaining a commanding lead in this series against the Thunder. What happened, though, couldn’t have been further from this train of thought. Contrary to the grit, the energy, and the passion that the Nuggets came into Game One with, attributes that led to them shocking the Oklahoma City Thunder and taking a 1-0 lead in the series. In Game Two, the Nuggets came out sluggish, they came out haphazardly, and they came out with no heart, essentially letting the Thunder walk not only through them, but over them as well. All of this amounted to a 43-point loss to the Thunder, who put up 149 points in the game, including nearly 90 points in the first half alone. With their momentum now gone, and with the Thunder seemingly having taken control of this series with another blowout performance, where do the Nuggets go from here?
For starters, the Nuggets are sure to be relieved that they are traveling back to Denver for the next two games, where the home crowd is sure to provide some much-needed energy and motivation for the team. Not only this, but it is also worth noting that the Nuggets have fared slightly better at home this season as opposed to away games, with the team averaging both more points and assists in Denver. On the flip side, the Thunder have fared slightly worse in their away games this year, averaging fewer points, assists, steals, and blocks than they do at home. While these statistics fare well for the Nuggets, simply being at home will not be enough for them to gain back control of this series.
For the Nuggets to regain their form, their players, including their stars, will have to step up both in terms of effort but also in their ability to produce for the team. Following his 42 points and 22 rebounds in Game One, Nikola Jokic only produced 17 points and eight rebounds in Game Two. In Game One, Jokic’s partner in crime, Jamal Murray, produced 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists, but only managed to score 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist in Game Two. These two performances are entirely unacceptable, and if Denver is going to compete, let alone win this series, their two stars are going to have to replicate their Game One performances and then some.
Besides their stars, though, Denver will need good supporting help from their other key players as well. Following his 22-point and game-winning performance, Aaron Gordon only managed to contribute a measly 10 points in Game Two. Michael Porter Jr, the Nuggets' third-leading scorer, has only averaged five points this series, down significantly from his 18.2-point average this season. With the size and depth of the Thunder on full display in Game Two, the Nuggets will need all of their major components to contribute to keep up with the West’s top seed. There were no lineup issues, there were no injury concerns, and there were no outside forces that interfered with the Nuggets’ play last night. Their performance was simply about effort and shot making. If these players can perform at the level they have before, coupled with a resurgence in effort alongside the crowd being on their side, the Nuggets can surely take Game Three and regain control in this series.
