Thunder Dominate Nuggets, Set NBA Playoff Record

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showcased an impressive performance, accumulating 34 points in just three quarters, as the Oklahoma City Thunder decisively defeated the Denver Nuggets with a score of 149-106. This victory tied the NBA Western Conference semifinal series 1-1. The match occurred Wednesday night at the Paycom Center.

The Thunder began the game with exceptional offensive power, establishing a new NBA playoff record by scoring 87 points in the initial half. This surpassed the previous record of 86 points, held by the Cleveland Cavaliers from their June 9, 2017, game against the Golden State Warriors during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City also equaled the all-time record for the highest point total in a playoff game half, matching the Milwaukee Bucks’ 87 points scored in the second half against the Nuggets on April 23, 1978.

“Essentially, only one team showed up to play tonight,” commented Denver center Nikola Jokic, in response to his team’s significant defeat.

Besides his game-leading 34 points, Gilgeous-Alexander also contributed four rebounds and eight assists to the Thunder’s triumph.

After losing the first game of the series to Denver, Oklahoma City approached Game 2 with a heightened sense of urgency.

“We understood the importance of tonight’s game,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated.

“We displayed a strong sense of determination. Our aim was to manage and control the aspects we knew we were capable of handling. We executed this effectively, particularly at the beginning of the game. This initial momentum propelled us throughout the remainder of the night,” he added.

Russell Westbrook was the leading scorer for the Nuggets with 19 points, while Jokic, who had scored 42 points in Game 1, was limited to just 17 points in this game.

The Thunder held a commanding lead of 124-76 after three quarters, with their advantage peaking at 49 points.

Game 3 of the series is scheduled to take place Friday in Denver.