Oklahoma City Thunder (46-15) beat Denver Nuggets (37-23) 127-121 at home on Friday, February 27 in overtime.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Nuggets struck first, taking the opening quarter 33-19 and a 14-point lead after one. The Thunder cut into the deficit with a 31-26 second quarter, though the Nuggets still led by 9 at halftime.
The Thunder won the third 27-24 to stay in front, taking a 6-point lead into the fourth. The Thunder answered with a 30-24 fourth quarter, forcing overtime at 107.
The Thunder finally separated the teams in overtime, winning it 20-14 to close out a 127-121 victory.
What decided it
The Thunder took better care of the ball, turning it over on 10.4% of possessions compared with 14.3% for the Nuggets. The Thunder made 23.2 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 16.5 for the Nuggets. Those extra possessions were crucial.
At roughly 117 possessions per team, the Thunder produced 108.8 points per 100 possessions to 103.6 for the Nuggets.
The Thunder's reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 46-13.
Who stepped up
Jamal Murray was the game's biggest individual force for DEN: 39 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast on 12-26 shooting. His Game Score of 30.9 led everyone. His team was +5 with him on the floor.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 36 pts, 3 reb, 9 ast on 12-29 shooting, good for a 29.7 Game Score.
Chet Holmgren (15 pts, 21 reb, 3 ast) and Nikola Jokic (23 pts, 17 reb, 14 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Thunder about a 75% chance.
Across the last 12 meetings in our records, Oklahoma City Thunder lead 7-5.
The Thunder are now 46-15, and the Nuggets are 37-23. The Thunder last five before this game: L-W-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.