OKLAHOMA CITY — The OKC crowd gasped for air after Chet Holmgren missed his second free-throw attempt. The final nine seconds felt like nine hours as Russell Westbrook quickly shuffled the ball toward Aaron Gordon as he scored his second game-winner of the NBA playoffs. This time, it was from the outside.
Wow. Just a shocker of a finish. After playing with fire for most of the second half, the Oklahoma City Thunder were finally burned with a 121-119 Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Just like that, the first seed is down 0-1 in their Round 2 series.
Where to begin with this one? Let’s start at the beginning to unravel this final result. It’ll take all of Tuesday and most of Wednesday to properly digest the repercussions of this all-time collapse.
To start, any theories that the Thunder will have the energy advantage because of the long layoff were thrown out the window. The Nuggets were equal fighters despite being less than two days removed from an emotional Game 7 win over the LA Clippers. The Thunder held a slight 27-26 lead after the first quarter.
Tired legs finally showed, though. The Thunder went on a 24-7 run fueled by Alex Caruso’s sparkplug off the bench. Their signature active defense took over as the Nuggets looked lost. Building up a 14-point lead, it felt like OKC was about to run away on the scoreboard. They scored 33 points in the second quarter and entered halftime with a 60-50 lead.
Not an insurmountable lead, but you’ll take a double-digit advantage into the break. And then the third quarter happened. Usually, that’s the Thunder’s money quarter, where they blow open the game. Instead, the Nuggets made things uncomfortable for the OKC crowd.
Knifing through referee extracurricular activities and questionable calls, Nikola Jokic put Denver on his back. The three-time MVP winner already had a 20-20 game in the bag after just three quarters. He manipulated contact and got to the free-throw line to the point that the OKC crowd chanted “free-throw merchant” at him multiple times.
The Nuggets scored 35 points in the third quarter. The Thunder only had a 90-85 lead after three frames. Gulp. This was not how this game was supposed to go. OKC had every advantage in the books for Game 1 and still couldn’t put Denver away. In a game they dominated, the scoreboard didn’t reflect.
Jalen Williams soothed any concerns with a strong fourth-quarter start. After struggling, the 24-year-old took advantage of Jokic being off the floor. The Thunder suddenly had a 100-88 lead less than three minutes into the final frame.
Keeping a 10-point lead with around six minutes left, this felt like the Thunder were on their way to a Game 1 win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander checked in to play closer. He was near perfection in that role. A stepback 3-pointer should’ve been a kill-shot as OKC’s crowd erupted with a 113-102 lead with 4:31 left.
Play that scenario 100 times, the Thunder likely wins in 99 simulations. Instead, what transpired was a stunning collapse that saw Denver slowly melt away its deficit. It was the ultimate lesson as to what not to do in that clutch situation, as OKC suffered death by a thousand papercuts with one small mistake after another.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s floater with three minutes left should’ve been the dagger. The Thunder held a 115-106 lead. Then Jokic got to the free-throw line on the next possession. A couple of possessions later, he finished through traffic near the rim. Then on the next possession, he drilled a 3-pointer.
Out of nowhere, the Thunder’s lead was down to 115-114 with 1:07 left as Denver scored nine straight points. After Westbrook’s daring outside attempt failed, Gordon’s second-chance look was blocked. More on those two in a bit, as they totally redeemed themselves like it was the cult classic “Step Brothers” movie.
The Nuggets intentionally fouled Gilgeous-Alexander. The MVP finalist made both free-throw attempts. Up by three points with 13 seconds left, the Thunder intentionally fouled Jokic. He made both free-throw attempts as 12 seconds were left.
Too busy looking to foul, the Nuggets forget about their paint defense as Gilgeous-Alexander had an easy dunk. The Thunder were back up 119-116 with 11 seconds left. The Thunder stuck to their foul-up-three strategy as Gordon made both free throws.
It was the Thunder’s turn to make their free throws. Except this time, Holmgren missed both attempts. Christian Braun got the rebound. Westbrook found Gordon and he swished in a game-winner from deep. Williams’ Hail Mary attempt fell short.
The Thunder shot 42% from the field and went 15-of-43 (34.9%) from 3. They shot 20-fo-28 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 42 baskets. Six Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a near 33-point triple-double. Caruso had 20 points and five steals off the bench. Meanwhile, Williams only had 16 points and Holmgren was quiet with 12 points. Hartenstein finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Lu Dort had 14 points.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets shot 44% from the field and went 10-of-32 (31.3%) from 3. They shot 27-of-33 on free throws. They had 18 assists on 42 baskets. Five Nuggets players scored double-digit points.
Jokic had one of the best games ever with 42 points on 15-of-29 shooting, 22 rebounds and six assists. Gordon had 22 points and 14 rebounds. Westbrook scored 18 points off the bench. Jamal Murray finished with 21 points while Braun had 11 points and 13 rebounds.
As Thunder fans filed out, everybody left stunned. Nobody could believe what just happened. How could you lose that game? Sure, Game 1 didn’t go how you hoped, but you never apologize for wins. But to lose in that fashion is not only a gutpunch, but a series-altering result.
Daigneault was met with a virtual mob for the first time. Twitter notifications heated every media member’s phone with complaints. Scrolling through social media, you will see everybody wondering why the Thunder were so quick to intentionally foul instead of relying on their league-best defense.
These types of outcomes will cast doubt. Everybody leans on hindsight to surgically criticize every small mistake in the final moments that could’ve altered the final result. But it’s a fruitless exercise. Reality is, the Thunder are down 0-1 in a game they led for most of the night. Such is life in the NBA playoffs.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-minus
What should’ve been another career playoff moment quickly became a footnote. Matched up against Gordon, Gilgeous-Alexander bumped him off to create enough space to splash in the stepback 3-pointer as Braun’s late contest wasn’t enough.
That should’ve been the dagger. Instead, the Nuggets erased it from existence. Gilgeous-Alexander left the court with a sour taste in his mouth. He finished with 33 points on 12-of-26 shooting, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He shot 2-of-6 from 3 and went 7-of-9 on free throws.
After a forgettable Round 1 series, Gilgeous-Alexander had his best start of the playoffs. An up-and-down mid-range jumper highlighted 14 first-quarter points. He got into a groove early on against his fellow MVP finalist. But a promising start was forgotten with pedestrian middle quarters.
Gilgeous-Alexander turned it back up in the fourth quarter with 13 points, but that wasn’t enough to secure the win. He went back to being a 30-point scorer, but not at the usual efficiency he’s grown the Thunder accustomed to. On the other hand, he was OKC’s best player in a playoff loss that looked eerily similar to last year’s as his teammates struggled to show up.
Even though fans were devastated, the Thunder can’t afford to linger. They let Game 1 slip through their fingers, but they have to quickly shift their focus to Game 2 or risk losing this series already. Gilgeous-Alexander understands that as OKC tries to move on and salvage these first two games with a split.
Alex Caruso: A-plus
Let’s start with the positives. Like clockwork, Caruso was a machine. If you want to understand a playoff riser, point to the 31-year-old. After a mundane regular season, he was the Thunder’s second-best player in Game 1. A shocking result shouldn’t erase what he did, though.
Caruso finished with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, six assists and five steals. He shot 5-of-9 from 3 and also had two blocks. He was part of OKC’s closing lineup and logged 26 minutes off the bench.
In a game where everybody besides Gilgeous-Alexander needed to knock off the rust, Caruso was the energy jolt ala Westbrook on the Nuggets. He disrupted passing lanes and was a play ahead of Denver. His nonstop activity fueled the Thunder’s second-quarter run.
To show how savvy a defender he is, he read Jokic like a picture book. He sagged off Westbrook to double the reigning MVP and knew the non-shooter would cut to the basket for a possible layup. Instead, Caruso intercepted the ball for one of his five steals.
The Thunder then went with Caruso over Hartenstein to start the second half. The move immediately paid off as he hounded Murray for another steal-and-score in the opening possession. He was just everywhere all game and has been one of OKC’s four best players throughout the playoffs.
Alas, Caruso’s Game 1 brilliance will go down in vain. A stunning choke job will have all of the headlines. Still, the 31-year-old knows this is only the start of the playoff series. The one-time NBA champion understands the ups and downs that come this time of the year. You can’t let it snowball into Game 2.
Jalen Williams: D
This can’t happen again. After last year’s Round 2 exit to the Dallas Mavericks, Williams was painted as the poster child for the Thunder’s title win. Play like he did against the Memphis Grizzlies, they could capture a championship. But play like he did in Game 1 against the Nuggets, this could be another disappointing playoffs.
Williams finished with 16 points on 5-of-20 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists. He shot 2-of-9 from 3 and went 4-of-6 on free throws. He also had two steals and two blocks.
All of the pessimist’s fears materialized in this game. Williams faded into the background. His drives to the basket resulted in misses and mid-range jumpers didn’t fall. Like last year, Gilgeous-Alexander kept the Thunder afloat for most of the game.
Only up by five points, Williams had a better fourth quarter. But the Thunder can’t afford to let him work through inconsistencies. He must be better, as OKC’s margin for error has thinned between playoff opponents.
Chet Holmgren: D
Let’s get the obvious out of the way — you’ve got to make your free throws. You’ve just got to. When you play the intentional foul game, you should know that you must make your attempts when it’s your turn to get to the line. Anything less than that puts what transpired tonight into a possible reality.
That said, the Thunder didn’t just lose because Holmgren clanked his two free-throw attempts in the final seconds. That was the punctuation mark, sure. But several smaller mistakes along the way led to the doomsday scenario.
Holmgren finished with 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting, six rebounds and two assists. He shot 0-of-3 from 3 and went 2-of-4 on free throws. He also had four blocks and a steal.
The Thunder need more from Holmgren. Either be a nuisance to Jokic or step up as a scorer. Or heck, do both. Everybody knows you’re capable of it. But to do neither puts OKC at a serious disadvantage that it almost got away with until the final seconds.
A lot of blame will fall on Holmgren for the free-throw failures. He and Daigneault are viewed as the main actors of this disastrous loss. But his shortcomings went beyond just the two loud misses.
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