The Denver Nuggets' 149-106 Game 2 loss to the Thunder wasn't the first time they were blown out in the playoffs. In their first-round series against the Clippers, the Nuggets lost 117-83 in Game 3 in Los Angeles. How did Denver respond? By winning three of the next four games.
Oklahoma City is a better team than LA, but that doesn't mean the loss didn't give Denver the spark it needs with the series headed to Ball Arena for Games 3 and 4. As David Adelman said, the Nuggets got "punked" by the Thunder. Oklahoma City dominated from start to finish -- beginning with a 30-9 run in the first quarter.
Nothing comes easy in the playoffs, especially not when you go up against the team that posted the best record in the regular season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely win MVP over Nikola Jokic. He's played exceptionally well in the first two games, but Jokic can return to being the best player on the floor as in Game 1. He can't will the Nuggets to wins by himself, though. Not against a team as stacked as the Thunder.
If the Game 2 loss wasn't enough to wake Denver up, nothing will. The Nuggets need to take a page out of their book from the first round after the Clippers punked them.
How will Nuggets respond to embarrassing Game 2 blowout?
One of the things Denver needs to do is match OKC's physicality. The Thunder played like a team on the ropes in Game 2, upping their defensive pressure. That played a significant role in the Nuggets finishing with 20 turnovers, compared to the Thunder's nine. OKC wanted Denver to play flustered, and that's what happened. Jokic fouled out in the third quarter, something he had never done before (yes, he was also getting incessantly fouled).
The Nuggets' defense on Wednesday was one of many things that contributed to the lopsided loss. It was the opposite of what the Thunder displayed on that end. It's hard to stop SGA, but Denver let him do whatever he wanted. He finished with 34 points on 11-of-13 shooting.
Michael Porter Jr. said after the loss that the Nuggets "need to be the enforcer." Denver isn't going to make it to the Western Conference Finals if it doesn't show fight. OKC will cruise through the next three games to win the series in a gentleman's sweep. It's on the Nuggets -- the team with championship experience -- to flip the script.
Denver needs to be the one to throw the first punch on Friday.