Nuggets game day: Denver, OKC meet for first time since epic February clash

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Denver Nuggets’ Feb. 1 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder had everything.

There was star power; Nikola Jokic posted a monster 29-point, 13-rebound, 14-assist stat line, while Thunder forward Paul George went for 43 points on 26 shots. There were viral moments; Jamal Murray’s crossover, which caused Steven Adams to crumple to the ground in a heap, spawned a thousand blog posts. There was even a buzzer beater; Gary Harris drilled a three over Russell Westbrook as time expired.

The dramatic win was a high point in the Nuggets’ up-and-down season. Denver and Oklahoma City will meet for the first time since that wild game on Friday (6 p.m., Altitude). This time around, the Nuggets aren’t feeling as good about themselves.

The Nuggets’ playoff hopes are on life support after losing four times in their last six games. They started off a seven-game road trip with a loss to the Grizzlies. They’ve since dropped games to the Heat, 76ers and Raptors. Their two-weeks-long journey away from Denver concludes in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder lead the season series two games to one. The Nuggets will try to pull even without Harris. Their steady starting shooting guard hasn’t played since exiting a March 17 game with a right knee strain. Denver is 2-4 without its second-leading scorer.

Harris scored 25 points and drilled five threes in Denver’s Feb. 1 win over the Thunder. The last three-pointer he sunk in that game was the highlight of the Nuggets’ season to date.

The Nuggets will be at a disadvantage without him. At least they’ll be well rested. They had two days off after a back-to-back in Philadelphia and Toronto. The Thunder played in San Antonio on Wednesday. They fell to the Spurs 103-99 in a game where Russell Westbrook struggled down the stretch. Westbrook shot 2-8 in the fourth quarter.

Westbrook leads Oklahoma City in scoring (25.3 ppg), rebounding (9.78 rpg) and assists (10.1 apg). He’s on the cusp of averaging a triple-double for the second consecutive season if he can up his rebounding average slightly.

Last season, Westbrook ended Denver’s playoff hopes with a 50-point triple-double. Westbrook, who went for 20 points and 21 assists in OKC’s and Denver’s last meeting, always seems to give the Nuggets trouble. Containing him won’t be easy — especially without Harris.

Nuggets Projected Starters

Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Wilson Chandler, Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic

Thunder Projected Starters

Russell Westbrook, Corey Brewer, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Steven Adams