Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman reflected on his team’s blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a 149-106 defeat that tied the Western Conference semifinal series 1-1.
The Thunder delivered a historic offensive performance, setting an NBA playoff record for first-half points. Adelman acknowledged his team’s struggles, particularly in the physicality department, and emphasized the need for a better response in Game 3.
“Yeah, but we got punked, and we didn’t play well enough,” Adelman said. “They came out with the right intensity, and we didn’t. I thought we let some open shots early affect our defense.”
Adelman pointed out that Oklahoma City’s aggressive playstyle and efficient scoring buried the Nuggets early. The Thunder shot 71.4% in the first quarter, setting the tone for the game. “You can’t come out like that, with that kind of mentality,” Adelman added. “We’ve got to react better.”
The Nuggets struggled to match the Thunder’s physicality. Adelman remarked that his team was “reactionary” to the intense play from Oklahoma City, leading to unfavorable officiating calls. “When you join the party late, the refs look at you as reactionary, the whistle doesn’t go your way,” he said. “You can’t get punked the first six minutes.”
A key issue for the Nuggets was their ball security, with 20 turnovers in the game. Adelman pointed out that the Thunder capitalized on every loose ball. “There’s so many fundamental basketball things that went wrong,” he explained. “They got into us, and we brought the screening earlier. We have to screen better.”
The coach also discussed the struggles of key players like Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. He acknowledged that Murray was tightly guarded by Luguentz Dort and emphasized the importance of creating better offensive spacing for him. “We need to get multiple screens to give him space to play,” Adelman noted.
Regarding Porter Jr., who battled with his shooting form, Adelman said that the physicality of the game affected his performance. “It’s almost like his shot is stopping at 90%. You can tell when he shoots it,” he observed. Despite the struggles, Adelman praised Porter Jr.’s effort and noted that his shooting rhythm could be key for the team moving forward.
Looking ahead to Game 3 in Denver, Adelman remains focused on making the necessary adjustments. “We’ll react the right way like we did in Game 3 in L.A.,” he said. “We have to bring a different intensity, look at what they did differently, and expect a much better effort.”
The Nuggets will aim to bounce back and regain control of the series when they play the Thunder in Denver on Friday.
