In most games, the Denver Nuggets will face more palatable defenses than the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they will need to shoot the ball better than their one-game sample size thus far to remain a championship contender.

In Thursday night’s 102-87 season-opening loss to the Thunder at Ball Arena, Denver shot 35% from the field and 7 for 39 from three. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. combined for 27 points on 9-of-31 shooting, while Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and company caused them nightmares, as the Nuggets failed to garner enough output from either the top or bottom of their roster.

A person suffering from an injury Oklahoma City pulled away from the healthy Nuggets in the third quarter, 27-17. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 28 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three steals. Chet Holmgren recorded 25 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks.

Recap: Denver Nuggets fall behind Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter and never recover, losing 102–87.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with his first triple-double of the season, recording 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists.

The Nuggets had ten of their fifteen turnovers in the first half, continuing a preseason tendency into their first meaningful minutes of 2024-25. After halftime, the lack of scoring could be attributed primarily to missed shots, with 22 of their 29 efforts in the pivotal third frame.

“They’re a great defensive team,” coach Michael Malone stated ahead of the game. “They are physical. They want to push you away. The one problem we have is that if we can force the Thunder to play half-court, which means taking care of the ball and not giving up 25-plus points in transition, we will have a chance to win.”

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with his first triple-double of the season, amassing 16 points, 12 boards and 13 assists.

Recap: Denver Nuggets fall behind Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter and never recover, losing 102–87.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with his first triple-double of the season, recording 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists.

The Nuggets had ten of their fifteen turnovers in the first half, continuing a preseason tendency into their first meaningful minutes of 2024-25. After halftime, the lack of scoring could be attributed primarily to missed shots, with 22 of their 29 efforts in the pivotal third frame.

“They’re a great defensive team,” coach Michael Malone stated ahead of the game. “They are physical. They want to push you away. The one problem we have is that if we can force the Thunder to play half-court, which means taking care of the ball and not giving up 25-plus points in transition, we will have a chance to win.”

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Transition scoring was relatively even. As were paint points and second-chance points. However, the Thunder’s shot-creators and shooters just outperformed Denver’s, with the depth of possibilities standing out throughout the game.

Before everything fell apart, the season opener began just as one would expect: Jokic blocking Holmgren in the post and burying a 3-pointer on the other end.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Denver Nuggets, October 24, 2024. Play-by-play | NBA.com

That appeared to be the best outside shooting omen the Nuggets could have hoped for following a highly scrutinized offseason, but they soon found themselves air-balling 3s as much as they were making them. The starting lineup was so effective that it didn’t matter at first. It opened up an 18-10 lead in the first few minutes.

Michael Malone then made his first substitutes, replacing Braun and Murray with Julian Strawther and Russell Westbrook, and the Thunder embarked on a 21-6 run in the final six minutes of the quarter. Denver was already behind when Jokic left the game to make way for Dario Saric, Malone’s final nine-man rotation substitute.

The small-ball second unit, led by Murray, had a few tough periods on the defensive glass but was not overly exposed due to its lack of size. That’s where Isaiah Hartenstein’s fractured hand may have aided the Nuggets by eliminating a 7-footer from Oklahoma City’s rotation.

Braun gave the ball over three times and missed his corner threes, which OKC was happy to let him take, but the new starter was a bright spot overall. His on-ball defense was passable against Jokic’s MVP runner-up from the previous season. And the 23-year-old appeared in control when attacking the rim and leaving his feet.

On one baseline drive, he noticed Dort setting his feet to take charge, drifting to a halt in mid-air, and banked an 8-footer without running through Dort. In his first game, Braun had 16 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

The Nuggets made only 35.4 percent of their field goal attempts, including 15 of 54 in the second half as the Thunder cruised to victory.

Last season, OKC and Denver finished with identical 57-25 records, with the Thunder earning the top seed in the Western Conference on a tiebreaker but losing to Dallas in the Conference semi-finals.