After that tough loss to OKC yesterday, the Denver Nuggets got to lick their wounds back and delivered a massive 140-127 win to even the season series with the Oklahoma City Thunder at 2-2 to close out their final meeting of the season. The second leg of the MVP race proved to be Nikola Jokic’s game as he enjoyed his efficient night from start to finish.

Jokic scored 35 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists on 15-20 shooting from the field and was able to come up with some impressive baskets despite having four fouls. It was the Denver supporting cast that proved to be pivotal in the win as they helped keep the non-Jokic minutes meaningful and hard for OKC to capitalize on.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped 40 points yesterday, only had 25 points and shot 57.1% from the field, including seven assists and two blocks. Isaiah Hartenstein had 20 points on 50% shooting, while Luguentz Dort drilled eight threes en route to 26 points – leading the Thunder in all scorers.

A Fiery Second Half

The second half was the thing that killed off Denver’s chances yesterday, and they made sure to take note of that as they narrowly shut down the Thunder’s groove as they dropped 34 and 39 points in the final two quarters while holding OKC to less than 30 points in each. Denver shot 12-17 from three in the second half, which is a huge contrast compared to OKC’s 9-25.

Jamal Murray came alive in this stretch as well, scoring 18 points on 54% shooting, and finished with 34 points overall while playing the most minutes in the game at nearly 40. With SGA barely touching the ball in the second half, Denver made short work of the Thunder to pull away when they reached the hundred-point mark.

All Denver starters also finished with double-figures, especially Russell Westbrook – who struggled hard yesterday but finished with 16 points, seven assists, and five rebounds on a promising 6-10 shooting from the field. Even Peyton Watson finished with 16 points off the bench and missed only one shot while hitting all four threes.

All Denver players drilled at least one three in the win, except for Zeke Nnaji, who did not attempt a single field goal but was +9 in the game. The Nuggets only played a total of eight players in the game, which just means that they are already locked in for their playoff rotation so far.

Struggle for the Thunder

OKC shot 47% from the field, but they were 19-47 from three, including a disastrous 9-25 from downtown in the second half. It has been a rocky stretch for the team so far, and it cannot be denied that there are a lot of expectations with the way they played for most of the season.

Chet Holmgren, who was the massive impact player yesterday, struggled to find his shot with just 3-11 shooting form the field and a meager eight points. Aaron Wiggins, who was blazing hot since February, was just 3-8 and didn’t really get on his groove on this double-header matinee.

Jalen Williams, who flirted with a triple-double in yesterday’s win for OKC, played only 13 minutes and later walked to the locker room. He did not return for the rest of the game with an undisclosed injury, which definitely hampered the Thunder’s rotation – especially in the fourth quarter where he usually starts.