Coach Adelman's refreshingly honest postgame take is the right one

The Nuggets sucked on Wednesday night.

The 149-106 shellacking at the hands of the Thunder exposed not only some of the team’s deep-seated weaknesses but also what happens when most of the roster doesn’t show up to play.

And thank goodness David Adelman didn’t try to dress it up. No clever wordplay or tactical explanations. No “we’ll look at the film” coach-speak to pass the buck. Just the undeniable truth that every Nuggets fan who suffered through those 48 minutes already knew: Denver got straight-up embarrassed by the Thunder in Game 2 at the Paycom Center.

"We got punked."

David Adelman

The Nuggets were the Nail in Game 2

Adelman’s unvarnished honesty continued as the Nuggets’ interim head coach discussed what went wrong: The Thunder came out with the right intensity, and the Nuggets most definitely did not, letting some early open shots impact how the team played defensively.

If you’ve watched enough Nuggets basketball this season, you know this isn’t necessarily a new trend. The team has had stretches where their offensive struggles bleed into their defensive effort. But in a playoff game? Against a hungry Thunder team looking to prove that they, themselves, didn’t “get punched” in Game 1? Terrible timing.

By the time Denver — at least Russell Westbrook — decided to match Oklahoma City’s energy, the scoreboard already had the basketball-watching public looking to hit the hay early. Down by 20-plus in the first quarter, the game was effectively over before most fans had finished their first beer.

The Thunder hammered our Nuggets early and often, with Adelman highlighting physicality as the most concerning part of the loss:

"I thought the game was reffed very physical. I thought we joined the party late. When you join the party late, the refs look at you as reactionary."

David Adelman

Check out the full postgame press conference below:

Even unbiased observers — including NBA veteran Patrick Beverly, who tweeted “They calling this game a lil diff” — noticed the discrepancies in how the game was being called. But in a 43-point postseason loss, blaming the officiating is a loser’s lament.

Great teams don’t let the referees determine their fate. They adjust to how tight or loose the whistles are and overcome. But the Nuggets looked shell-shocked, rattled by OKC’s can’t-be-faked desperation and unable (or unwilling) to match the Thunder’s physical play until it was far too late.

Heading Home to Denver

As the series shifts to Denver for Game 3, the question isn’t whether the Nuggets can win the series — they absolutely can. The question is whether they’re willing to match Oklahoma City’s zeal from the opening tip, rather than waiting until they’re down 20 to start playing with urgency.

Despite the natural advantage the Mile High City’s altitude provides, the Nuggets have struggled in the friendly confines of Ball Arena this year compared to the team’s recent past. And the home-court advantage really won’t matter if the team brings the same lackluster effort we saw in Game 2.

The Nuggets got punked. Period. And acknowledging that reality is the first step toward ensuring it doesn’t happen again.