Photo Credit: Getty Images
Western Conference top seeds Oklahoma City, stung by the Denver Nuggets' comeback in game one, romped to a record-setting 87 points in the first half to set up a 149-106 victory that levelled their series at one game apiece.
The Thunder, who surrendered a 14-point lead in falling to the Nuggets in their series opener, were clearly on a mission to buck the trend and become the first home team to win a game in the second round of these playoffs. Their 87 points were the most in a first half of a playoff game, surpassing Cleveland's 86 against Golden State in game four of the 2017 NBA Finals.
They tied the record for most points in any half of a playoff game, matching Milwaukee's 87 in the second half of a second-round encounter with Denver in 1978. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made 11 of his 13 attempts and all 11 of his free throws on the way to 34 points, leading eight Thunder players to score in double figures. "We came out here desperate," Gilgeous-Alexander said, adding the Thunder didn't want to head to Denver for game three on Friday down 2-0. "That wasn't really an option for us," he said. "We did the necessary things to get a W."
Jalen Williams added 17 points and Chet Holmgren had 15 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. Denver star Nikola Jokic, coming off a 42-point game one, scored 17 points with six turnovers before fouling out late in the third quarter. Russell Westbrook led Denver's scoring with 19 points, but Oklahoma City led by as many as 49.
