Nikola Jokic, Nuggets Ripped by NBA Fans for Scoring 8 Points in 1Q vs. Thunder in G4
After taking a 2-1 series lead against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets failed to carry that momentum over to Sunday's Game 4.
Despite playing in front of a spirited crowd of home fans at Ball Arena, the Nuggets were outscored 17-8 in the first quarter, shooting an abysmal 2-of-22 from the field and 0-of-14 from three-point range.
Denver's struggles in the opening quarter caught the attention of fans on social media who called out Nikola Jokic and company for their flat start to the game:
Luckily for the Nuggets, the Thunder weren't much better in the first quarter, as they shot just 6-of-22 from the field. Both teams are likely dealing with the after effects of Friday's grueling Game 3 that Denver won 113-104 in overtime.
The Nuggets had just eight players in the rotation on Friday, with all five of their starters playing over 40 minutes. Star point guard Jamal Murray played the equivalent of a full game with 48 minutes, while power forward Aaron Gordon played 46 minutes and Jokic played 44 minutes. Wings Christian Braun and Michael Porter Jr. played 43 and 42 minutes, respectively.
On the other side, three Thunder players topped the 40-minute mark, with star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way with 45 minutes. Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams, who scored a game-high 32 points, played 43 minutes. Center Chet Holmgren played 40 minutes.
Despite traveling back to Oklahoma City for Game 5, there's only one day of rest for the teams before they meet at the Paycom Center on Tuesday. Fans will certainly be hoping that both the Nuggets and Thunder open their next matchup with a lot more efficiency and focus to avoid another slow start.
