OKLAHOMA CITY — The showdown between MVP combatants ended in a stalemate.
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the Nuggets got the better of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in a rematch Monday at Paycom Center, pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 140-127 statement win.
It was only Oklahoma City’s third double-digit loss of the season.
Jokic amassed 35 points on 15-of-20 shooting, 17 rebounds and eight assists. Murray was the best Canadian on the floor, piling up 34 points and six assists. Denver (42-23) moved back into second place in the West behind Oklahoma City with the victory, coupled with a Lakers loss.
“We didn’t win a lot (before this) against the top teams,” said Jokic, who was listed as questionable on Denver’s pregame injury report due to both an ankle and an elbow issue. “… Hopefully we can show ourselves that we can be good when we need it the most.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said that when he approached Jokic to suggest giving him the night off, Jokic responded, “Hell no.”
When Jokic was asked why, he donned a solemn expression.
“Because if I don’t play, then I’m gonna work out with Felipe (Eichenberger),” the 30-year-old center said, referring to the team’s head strength and conditioning coach. “And that’s much harder than playing. … This was much easier.”
Murray was able to shake a tenacious defender in Lu Dort, another one of his countrymen, while making 11 of 22 shots from the field and getting to the foul line nine times.
“Just use (their) aggressiveness against them and play with my own aggression,” Murray said. “When the shots drop, it obviously makes everything easier. It makes me a tougher cover.”
The Nuggets blitzed Gilgeous-Alexander more than the previous game, forcing the ball to Isaiah Hartenstein on the short roll and to Dort on the perimeters. Hartenstein made his floaters in the first half for 16 points, then he cooled off and finished with 20. Gilgeous-Alexander had 25 points and seven assists.
“Just to give (him) a different look,” Jokic said. “He’s a top player in this league. He’s really talented. He’s so crafty. His midrange is really, really, really historical, I’m gonna say. He’s a great player. So we tried to make him take bad shots or just get rid of the ball.”
“With Shai’s size — I don’t think people realize how strong he is — his ability to break you down off the dribble, get wherever he wants to go, raise up and shoot that midrange shot, draw free throws … (and) knock down the stepback 3, there’s no weakness in this game,” Malone said before the game. “No chinks in that armor.”
He hadn’t finished his thought.
“Sometimes I think he gets away with a little bit of the push-off,” Malone continued. “I’ll be begging for that call all day long, but they won’t call it.”
Instead, it ended up being Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault who picked up an early technical foul for arguing calls. The Nuggets landed the first blow for the second day in a row, scoring 14 points in the first four minutes, until OKC settled in and had them on their heels within each of the first three quarters.
That suited them. The first frame was punctuated by a 7-0 last minute, with Jalen Pickett’s 3-pointer giving Denver a 34-32 lead. The second ended with an 8-2 run to get back within six. The third ended with an 8-0 haymaker that finally carried over.
Jokic took his seat for the start of the fourth with a 101-99 cushion. Murray and the second unit kept it safe for him. Zeke Nnaji, Michael Porter Jr. and Peyton Watson formed the frontcourt in what Malone described as a more “versatile” lineup. It didn’t hurt that everyone splashed jumpers, including Watson, a man possessed after playing only six minutes on Sunday. After his fourth corner 3-pointer — he never missed — he turned to the Thunder’s bench behind him and exclaimed.
Russell Westbrook, greeted by a standing ovation Sunday and another lighter round of applause Monday, contributed 16 efficient points, five boards and seven assists in the starting lineup for an injured Aaron Gordon.
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