DENVER – On the second night of a back-to-back at high elevation, the Thunder was staring down a 16-point deficit to the Denver Nuggets. Instead of folding, it battled back and gave itself a chance in the final moments but ultimately fell short, 107-100.
The Nuggets built its big lead by scoring on drive-and-dishes, but in the fourth quarter the Thunder’s defense buckled down and gradually chipped away at that margin. Finally, the Thunder cut the lead to just three with 3:19 left when Reggie Jackson pushed the ball in transition, then turned and dropped the ball off for Serge Ibaka. The rangy Thunder marksman pump faked to send his defender flying past him before draining a three-pointer from the left wing.
Denver immediately took a timeout and after a Thunder defensive stop, Jackson missed a top-of-the-key three-pointer, and off the miss, the Nuggets took advantage. Denver forward Wilson Chandler hit a three-pointer from the wing, then after a missed Ibaka right-handed runner in the lane, Nuggets guard Ty Lawson found Arron Afflalo in the left corner for a three-pointer to make it a nine-point Denver lead.
On the other end, Anthony Morrow’s shot was blocked and a Nick Collison bucket with 54.8 seconds remaining to cut it to seven was too little too late. The Thunder found a rhythm and tempo that allowed it to claw back and give itself a chance in the closing minutes, but ultimately couldn’t get over the hump.
“You have to have five guys playing with a competitive spirit,” Head Coach Scott Brooks said. “We found that. We cut the lead. We had a chance to tie or be down one. Reggie took a tough shot. Those are learning experiences.”
“Reggie did a great job all night long of when there was two on the ball, getting off the basketball,” Brooks continued. “That group gave us a chance down the stretch. We have to have that for 48 minutes.”
Thunder defensive ace Andre Roberson returned to the lineup tonight in limited minutes, but unfortunately Brooks’ squad couldn’t string together enough stops consistently to keep the Nuggets’ offense in check, particularly in the first few minutes of action and coming out of the locker room after halftime. For the game, Denver shot 48.8 percent from the field and racked up 25 assists to just nine turnovers.
“Defensively, it wasn’t there for us tonight,” Brooks said. “Denver is a very difficult team to guard. Their point guard is as fast as any guard in the league.”
The Thunder’s defense has been its staple here in the early season, so it was uncharacteristic for that to be the area that lacked on a night when the offense got going. On the night the Thunder shot 45.6 percent from the field, including 10-for-23 from the three-point line with a 21-10 assist-to-turnover breakdown. The key moving forward for the Thunder will be to match a strong offensive performance with its signature defense. If it can combine both for 48 minutes, it will have a great chance to get a win.
“We had a lot of good looks offensively tonight,” Brooks said. “I’m happy that we finally hit some shots. That was good to see. The ball was moving throughout the game.”
“We have to have a defensive mindset consistently and offensively we have to keep moving the ball,” Brooks explained. “We don’t have break down players. We need team scorers. We did that tonight.”
Ibaka Makes his Presence Felt
His very first shot rattled around the rim then up above it, lingering just long enough to seem like it might pop out. Good fortune insured that Serge Ibaka’s first look at the rim dropped, and from there the Thunder’s sharp-shooting, dynamic power forward kept it rolling. Throughout the night Ibaka paced the Thunder in scoring and on the glass, starting with a ten-point, four-rebound first quarter.
As the evening wore on and the Nuggets built a larger lead, Ibaka had answers with his mid-range jumper and twice from behind the three-point line. On the night he finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds in perhaps his most effective game of the young season.
“His energy level was much better,” Brooks said. “He has to bring that every night. On the defensive end, rebounding and his shots were falling for him tonight. That was a bright spot tonight. He kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win down the stretch.”
Telfair Goes Off
When he wasn’t slapping the ball away and harassing Nuggets ball-handlers, Sebastian Telfair was busy making shots on Wednesday night. The Thunder’s backup point guard went 7-for-7 from the field, including 4-for-4 from the three-point line on his way to 18 points. He also notched two assists and two rebounds on the night. When the Thunder was struggling, Telfair hit some big buckets both on catch-and-shoot situations and off the bounce.
“(Telfair) gave us great energy,” Brooks said. “He was battling (Denver point guard Ty) Lawson, who is not easy to guard. He did the best at staying in front of him. He made all of his shots tonight. They were good looks within the flow of the offense.”
Stats of the Night
7-for-7 – Shooting numbers for Sebastian Telfair on the night, as he scored 18 of the Thunder’s 40 bench points
9 – Assists for Reggie Jackson, as the Thunder racked up 21 assists to just 10 turnovers on the night
22 – Points for Serge Ibaka on 9-for-15 shooting, including a 2-for-2 mark from the three-point line. Ibaka finished also with 13 rebounds
The Final Word
“We know we have to play with that sense of urgency for 48 minutes on both ends. The thoughts have to be consistent and for the team throughout the game.” – Head Coach Scott Brooks