Russell Westbrook chalked up another triple-double, his NBA-leading (and Magic Johnson-tying) 17th of the season, before the end of the third quarter and the Thunder left the Pepsi Center with a 124-102 blowout victory. Kevin Durant did his part with 26 points on just 14 shots, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals, and Westbrook finished with 13 points, 12 assists and 14 rebounds for the Thunder as they looked like a team ready to make the case that they belong in the conversation alongside the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers as the class of the NBA.
The Nuggets won’t be arguing with that after suffering one of the most lopsided losses of their season. Serge Ibaka, Dion Waiters and Enes Kanter all added 18 points for the Thunder as they completed the four-game season sweep of the Denver Nuggets.
When/Where
April 5, 2016 / Pepsi Center – Denver, CO
Nuggets Star of the Game
Gary Harris – 17 pts, 6-10 FG, 3-6 3pt, 5 asst, 4 reb, 2 stls – Harris was the lone bright spot for the Nuggets in an otherwise terrible game for Denver. Harris has been remarkably consistent all season long, and continues to be one of the most valuable players on the court for Denver night-in and night-out. While his consistent numbers don’t always stand out from the crowd as one player or another has a night to outshine him, it was Harris doing what he always does that stood out on a night where very little went right for the Nuggets. Harris added yet another steal-to-dunk sequence that has become his signature move.
Turning Point
The Nuggets came out strong against the Thunder, trading punches in the first quarter, but Oklahoma City laid claim to the paint on both ends of the floor halfway through the second, opening up their offense and shutting down the Nuggets completely. The Thunder went on a 23-2 run that included 18 straight points leading to a 59-39 OKC margin before Gary Harris stopped the bleeding with one of his three 3-pointers.
Little Mac Tribute
The best move of the night for the Denver Nuggets was their tribute to the family of Mackenzie “Little Mac” Forrest who died tragically in a car accident earlier this year. Little Mac was planning on continuing her playing career at Regis University next year. Stephen Curry did his part to honor the life of the Lakewood High School star as well.
Dominance Down Low
It took about a quarter-and-a-half, but the Thunders physical big men finally took over down low leading the the Thunder’s big run in the second quarter. Durant, Serge Ibaka and the combination of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter were just too much for the Nuggets front court once again, dominating the glass and intimidating the Nuggets away from the paint.
Jusuf Nurkic had some success early on, but foul trouble for all of Denver’s bigs put a stop to any moment Denver might have had inside early on. Joffrey Lauvergne was the only member of the Nuggets frontcourt to have much success, playing a solid game throughout, finishing with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Thunder spent most of the game with a double-digit advantage in rebounding and finished with a 55-38 advantage in that department.
The Foye is Back in Town
Randy Foye entered the game for the Thunder and immediately drove into the paint for a layup, then immediately gave up an easy layup to his trade partner D.J. Augustin. Both players seem to be settling in nicely with their new teams and providing just what the teams were hoping for when they swapped guards at the trade deadline.
In addition to knocking down shots, Foye managed another of his surprising blocks in the second quarter as well, but in the end, Foye ended up with just five points on five shots and defense like this:
Bieber in the Building
The presence of pop star Justin Bieber had Nuggets fans and journalists abuzz all night:
Altitude’s Ally Sturm:
Well that was a full length swoosh from #DJAugustin & #JustinBieber is in the house. So, all I’ve got to say – #ImABelieber
— Ally Sturm (@AllySturm) April 6, 2016
BSN’s own Harrison Wind:
Bieber is at the Nuggets game tonight. Does he make it to halftime?
— Harrison Wind (@NBAWind) April 6, 2016
Bieber’s got a nice view of the game:
My buddy is at the Nuggets game tonight. pic.twitter.com/MLPKC4nWhH
— Vic J Lombardi XXI (@VicLombardi) April 6, 2016
Danilo Gallinari‘s view of the Bieb’s Purpose Tour:
Couldn’t miss it.. Il ragazzo giovane e’ in citta’
A video posted by Danilo Gallinari (@danilogallogallinari) on
Plays of the Game
Nurkic with some great help defense in the paint
JaKarr Sampson with the slam on a nice feed from Axel Toupane
Augustin’s miracle shot from 67 feet to end the first quarter
By the Numbers
Quote of the Game
“Every player, young guys and veterans, has gotten better this year.”#Nuggets pic.twitter.com/1eCK8l69gi
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 5, 2016
Lasting Impact
The loss is disappointing considering the strong start to the first quarter, but it was hard to picture a scenario where the Thunder left Denver with their third consecutive road loss as they get tuned up for the playoffs. It’s not all doom and gloom for the Nuggets either as each loss is essentially a win for the future of the franchise with so many teams in the mid-lottery with similar records down the stretch, every loss leads to extra ping pong balls for the NBA Draft Lottery on May 19th.
The one game down the stretch in which Denver could actually help themselves with a win is against the Utah Jazz, who are fighting it out with the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks for the finals playoff spots in the Western Conference. Denver owns the rights to Houston’s pick as long as they don’t end up in the lottery.
Up Next
Friday, April 8 vs. San Antonio, 7:00 p.m. MST
The Nuggets get a couple of days off before facing the San Antonio Spurs, who are having the best, second-best regular season in the history of the NBA. You never know who will be taking the court for the Spurs, especially in the last few weeks of the season when playoff seedings have been determined, but whoever it is will present a challenge for the Nuggets. The Nuggets have shown signs of playing a better team game, both offensively and defensively as the season has progressed, so this match up against the Spurs will be a great test of just how far they’ve come.
Denver hasn’t laid many eggs this season, managing to keep most every game competitive regardless of opponent, so they were bound to have a handful of laughers against the NBA’s best at some point during the season. How the Nuggets respond to tonight’s blowout with their difficult schedule down the stretch will say a lot about the mental makeup of this team.
