Home Basketball HARD GAME: Nikola Jokic scores 24 points, but the Nuggets lose to the Thunder 118–117

HARD GAME: Nikola Jokic scores 24 points, but the Nuggets lose to the Thunder 118–117

Basketball — 12/17/2023

ImageOklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 118–117 on a shot that was made with less than a second left in the game. Nikola Jokic scored 24 points, dished out 12 assists, and grabbed 6 rebounds. Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds, and Aaron Gordon scored 16 points and had 9 rebounds. But Jamal Murray’s shot was off because OKC’s guards were pressing him, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s loss was felt on every easy drive a Thunder ball handler made all night.

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Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points, grabbed six rebounds, and drained the game-winning shot. Denver’s Chet Holmgren had a great game, but the Nuggets were ahead 8–8 with three and a half minutes left and couldn’t come back. Both teams brought their A game, and the atmosphere was great. But OKC made the plays that counted in the end, and Denver couldn’t stop them from getting what they wanted without KCP.