Oklahoma City Thunder: Bring on more Denver Nugget games
I assume everyone is like me. Ready for the next Thunder-Nuggets game. The Thunder beat Denver 124-118 in overtime Sunday night that was the best OKC-Denver game ever. Which is saying something.
The Thunder-Nuggets have taken to playing great games every time out. Let’s review.
Game 5: Thunder 100-97 at OKC. Kevin Durant scored 41 points, including the final nine for the Thunder, as OKC overcame a nine-point deficit in the final four minutes. Durant’s two foul shots gave OKC the lead for good with 46 seconds left. His 19-footer with 12 seconds left made it 100-97. Then Durant blocked J.R. Smith’s 3-pointer, and the Nuggets’ Arron Afflolo missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Game 4: Nuggets 104-101 at Denver. The Nuggets led 97-87 late, but OKC rallied. Durant’s 3-pointer with 1:08 left made it 98-96. Westbrook missed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 29 seconds left and missed a tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left. But Durant’s 3-pointer with four seconds left drew OKC within 103-101, then Westbrook missed a 35-foot desperation heave at the buzzer.
Game 3: Thunder 97-94 at Denver. Thunder led 94-84 with a minute to go, but two Smith 3-pointers, sandwiched around two missed foul shots by Westbrook, drew the Nuggets within 95-94 with 14 second left, but Durant passed to Ibaka for a fast-break dunk with 10 seconds left, then Smith missed a 3-pointer with two seconds left.
Game 2: A 106-89 Thunder blowout.
Game 1: Thunder 107-103 at OKC. Perkins’ disputed tip-in – the Nuggets wanted goaltending – gave the Thunder a 102-101 lead with 65 seconds left, then Westbrook’s jumper gave OKC a three-point lead with 22 seconds left. Raymond Felton’s 3-pointer missed with 11 seconds left.
But even before the playoffs, the Thunder and Nuggets staged some wild games:
April 5, 2011: Thunder 101-94 at Denver. OKC handed the Nuggets their first home loss since the Carmelo Anthony trade six weeks earlier, effectively sealing the Northwest Division title. The Nuggets led 72-69 early in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder’s 16-0 run put away the game. Three nights later in OKC, the Thunder won again.
Jan. 19, 2011: Nuggets 112-107 at Denver. Amid Carmelo trade talks – the Nets announced earlier in the day they were pulling out of negotiations – Denver held on for a victory. OKC drew within 104-103 on Westbrook’s layup with 3:30 left, but the Thunder didn’t make another basket.
Dec. 25, 2010: Thunder 114-106 at OKC. The Nuggets led 85-84 late in the third quarter of this Christmas night special, but Durant’s jumper put OKC ahead to stay – and gave Durant 40 points going into the fourth quarter. KD finished with just 44, but the Thunder never was headed again.
That’s 10 OKC-Denver games in games in 14 months. Eight memorable, two or three classic. Here’s voting for a Thunder-Nugget series to start the 2012 playoffs.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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[...] Oklahoma City Thunder: Bring on more Denver Nugget games Ready for the next Thunder-Nuggets game. The Thunder beat Denver 124-118 in overtime Sunday night that was the best OKC-Denver game ever. Which is saying something. The Thunder-Nuggets have taken to playing great games every time out. Let's review. Read more on NewsOK.com (blog) [...]
How can you leave January 2, 2009 off this list? Carmelo answers KD’s trey with 2.7 left with one of his own with 0.1 left.