Dominant Game 2 Against Nuggets Evens Series Ahead Of Pivot To Denver

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MAY 7: Russell Westbrook (4) of the Denver Nuggets snarls as he looks at Chet ... More Holmgren (7) of the Oklahoma City Thunder as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shakes his hand during the third quarter at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Following a heartbreaking Game 1 loss in the final seconds against the Denver Nuggets, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed to bounce back. That’s exactly what Oklahoma City did in Game 2, winning in dominant fashion to even the series at 1-1 by a final score of 149-106. This was a pivotal victory for the Thunder, especially as the series moves to Denver for the next two games. Getting into a 0-2 hole would have been borderline insurmountable, but OKC took care of business. In Game 2, the Nuggets scored the first bucket of the game but never saw a lead again. In fact, Denver led for the first 21 seconds of the contest, but the Thunder led the entire game from there. Oklahoma City broke open a 20-point lead in the first quarter, ultimately extending it to more than 40 in the third quarter as both teams emptied their benches for the entire fourth. It was reminiscent of the Thunder’s opening game against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, which was another dominant game that resulted in a 51-point win. As the series pivots to Denver, it’s all about carrying this momentum into Game 3. The primary difference in the first two games was on the offensive side of the floor for OKC. In Game 2, Denver was able to score points — but not early enough. The Nuggets scored 56 points in the first half, which in most playoff games would be plenty, but the Thunder scored an NBA record 87 points in that same timeframe. From there, OKC outscored Denver 37-20 in the third quarter, fully putting the game away. Another significant factor in the Thunder playing so well in Game 2 was the productivity on the glass. Oklahoma City was outrebounded by 20 in Game 1 but won the glass battle in Game 2. It was a team effort rebounding the ball, as only one player — Chet Holmgren — pulled down double-digit rebounds, but five separate players grabbed at least four. That came down to intensity, effort, and an emphasis on rebounding in the game plan. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made his statement in Game 2 after Nikola Jokic stole the show in the opener, as the Thunder superstar scored 34 points on 11-of-13 shooting in just three quarters and was a +51 in the box score, which is the best plus/minus in the history of the NBA Playoffs. Speaking of Jokic, he fouled out in the third quarter and scored just 17 points on 16 shots. Neutralizing him was what set the tone early in the contest, as the Thunder schemed an aggressive and physical defensive plan to slow him down in Game 2. Like in most playoff series, no game is ever the same. As such, there are plenty of takeaways from Game 1 and Game 2, but expect that the next two contests in Denver will look completely different. It’s unlikely that the Thunder will put together another blowout of Game 2’s caliber, so finding things to continue building upon will be important. As crucial as Game 2 was for Oklahoma City to even the series at 1-1, Game 3 on Friday is now the focus as the Thunder will look to take its first lead of this series. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholascrain/2025/05/08/okc-thunder-dominant-game-2-against-nuggets-evens-series-ahead-of-pivot-to-denver/