Nuggets at Thunder recap: Nuggets fail to close out Thunder, lose in overtime

The Nuggets lose a close one in Oklahoma City. After being up late, Denver once again fails to close out a dangerous team, allows things to get to overtime, and get beat 124-118.

1st Quarter:

• Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo, Corey Brewer, Kenneth Faried, and Timofey Mozgov starting for the Nuggets. I like this lineup … should be good energy, rebounding, and hopefully some nice defense. At the 10:41 mark and Kevin Durant is heading to the foul line, uh he wasn’t shooting – but gets fouls shot. Hope it’s not one of those heavy whistle games for either team.
• 9:23 mark, Mozgov starts off 2-2 shooting! I like that. A layup and a little baseline jumper, good to see his offensive game come back. As I’m typing Brewer takes it to the rack and it’s 8-5 Denver. Glad it’s a nice start for the Nuggets offense. Moz now heading to the foul line after using a pump fake … he goes 2-2 and it’s 10-7 Denver and Moz has 6 points.
• 7:15 … Russell Westbrook goes for his signature straight-away tomahawk jam, but MANIMAL IS THERE FOR THE EPIC BLOCK! BREWER THE OTHER WAY … JAMS IT HOME TWO HANDED, it’s 15-9 Denver. This fast start has given me hope. Loving the way Denver is playing tonight, that Memphis loss (as Jeff Morton suggested) has given the Nuggets some MOJO back.
• End of the first and it’s 27-25 Denver after a 10-0 run by the Nuggets to close the quarter. From the 7:15 mark (it was 15-9 Denver) the Thunder used a 16-12 run to get back into the game. The expected run at home. George Karl pulled Faried a little quick for my liking, but we’ll see how this one shakes out. Good game thus far, very competitive and the Nuggets’ defense looks up for the task, making Durant and Company take some tough shots and giving them few easy looks.

2nd Quarter:

• Ok, so I’m watching on a bit of a delay … accidentally saw a score and one team had 32 points. Nuggets sitting on 31 points and I was hoping they’d get to 33 … an intense series for him as Denver gets three possessions and they get to 33! I know who has the lead later!
• At the 9:50 mark Kosta Koufos and Jordan Hamilton check into the game … does Karl know what quarter it is? Bizarro world as J Going Ham only plays garbage time so far, I like this sub. Hamilton misses his first shot … Nuggs get an o-board and Ham sinks a little hook/runner and gets fouls, misses the shot, gets the board, Kouf gets a layup (from Lawson) and gets fouled! Love offensive boards! It’s now 38-30 Nuggets as Kouf makes the And-1.
• 7:37 and it’s 42-32 Nuggets, this was the score I saw (didn’t see the teams) … I now know nothing of what happens in this game and I’m terrified. I want Denver to win this game. It’s now 46-32, hoping this good thing lasts. Westbrook gets bailed out on an awful call, just seconds after James Harden sprains an anke (stays in the game) on a missed layup.
• It’s 58-53 Denver heading into the half. Denver was up 12 with just a couple minutes left before the break, but OKC used an 8-0 run to get right back into the thick of the game. Loving the energy and fire Denver is playing with tonight. Will it be enough? We’ll find out and I hope we don’t have to find good news in a loss again. Tough one not to win tonight.

  Nuggets are 0-6 from deep tonight, out-rebounding OKC 25-17, and the Nuggs have 17 assists already. Not sure the long ball will start to fall, but keep hustling and sharing the ball and things could be very good for Lawson and Company.

3rd Quarter:

• To start the second half, we get the same lineup from the first half. Lawson has had his shot blocked a few times and now he’s a bit hesitant to shoot. Costs the Nuggets with a turnover on their first possession. OKC scores on theirs and it’s 58-55 Nuggets.
• 9:44 and the Thunder have the lead back 59-58. Nuggets letting themselves get pushed around a little bit and they have to figure out a way to get the pace back. Karl takes a timely timeout. Thunder on a 14-0 run at the moment … Denver yet to score this half.
• 8:02 mark and it’s 65-58 OKC … this game is getting away from the Nuggets as Durant and Co. are on a 20-0 run – ouch.
• 1:53 left in the third and the Nuggets have fought all the way back up 77-76 for a moment before Westbrook buries a three … this game has turned into a slug-fest. It’s 83-83 tied ballgame. We’ll see who closes better – the team or the Superstars.

4th Quarter:

• Karl opens with Miller, AAA, Brewer, Big Al, and Chris Andersen. Nuggets went big at one point with K2 and Moz together … now going small at a crucial point as it’s bench vs. bench right now. Thunder using Nazr Mohammed and Nick Collison in the front-court – both good rebounders, but not shot blockers.
• 9:29 left and Durant is back in … it’s 87-84 Denver. Miller going to work scoring and dishing assists. Big Al buries a three and it’s 90-84 Denver. Nuggets are executing and now allowing easy buckets right now. After the timeout and Westbrook is back in as well. Nuggets sticking with the same lineup, said for Lawson being in for AAA. Harrington another three and it’s 93-84 Nuggets.
• 6:52 and it’s 95-90 … the crowd is REALLY into it and every possession feels like a big one. Crazy good game so far. Feels like there is less than four minutes to go, but that’s not the case … a nail-biter. AAA back in for Brewer at the timeout, he misses a three.
• 2:50 to go and it’s tied at 104-104 … crazy game. Nuggets not getting easy shots or shots that I would think Karl wants as Birdman is 1-2 on jumpers and 1-2 from the foul line and just tipped one in for a 106-104 Nuggets lead.
• 54.5 seconds to go, Westbrook misses a jumper, Bird rebounds, Durant falls down, the Nuggets run, and Lawson buries a three and it’s 109-106.
• Thunder ball and AAA is covering Durant on the inbounds play … Durant misses a tough runner, Harrington grabs the rebound with two OKC guys around him. Big Al to the foul line … he goes 2-2 and it’s 111-106 Denver.
• There is 7 seconds to go and Durant blows by AAA and Birdman and gets an open dunk … it’s 111-111 with 4.4 seconds to go … what does Karl draw up? Can the Nuggets get a game winner in Oklahoma?
• Lawson takes the last shot from the foul line … misses it, might not have counted anyway. Going to overtime … are you kidding me? Barf.

Overtime:

Game recap: Frustrating game. Westbrook goes for 40 points and Durant for 51 points. The Nuggets had the game in the bag and just let things for perfecting for the Thunder late and blew the lead and eventually the game. Denver put up a great effort, but they needed to find a way to win this one and they didn't get it done. Karl's argument for a team over a closer loses again as he rides one lineup midway through the fourth all the way through overtime, said for K2 for Birdman. Moral win wont cut it here, the Nuggets handed this game to the Thunder.

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