Joker chokes as Nuggets slip in awful shooting night against OKC

For years, we've heard stories that the NBA league has become casual fun rather than proper basketball. Teams often score much more than 100 points per game, and defences are not like they used to be in the '90s, for instance.

Well, then you should definitely have a look at last night's playoff battle between the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder, which ended in a 92-87 OKC win.

The result is, though, not so much a consequence of rock-solid defences as a festival of awful shooting nights by both teams, especially the Nuggets.

Only those with strong stomachs could endure the first 12 minutes, during which Denver went 0-for-14 from three-point range and just 2-for-21 from the field - an absolutely disastrous start.

Nikola Jokic didn't score a single point during that stretch, and the quarter ended 17-8, marking the lowest-scoring quarter in NBA playoff history. The Nuggets tied the negative record previously held by the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers from 1999 and also set a new franchise low for points in a single playoff quarter.

Interestingly, the current Nuggets coach, David Adelman, is the son of former Portland Trail Blazers coach Rick Adelman. The same Blazers still hold the record with the Phoenix Suns for points in a single playoff match (153-151 after double overtime).

The missed shots were painful to watch - either clanging off the front of the rim or missing the basket entirely. Oklahoma packed the paint again, played physical and aggressive defence, and didn't allow Jokic or Aaron Gordon to dominate inside like in Games 1 and 3. As a result, Denver's players relied heavily on perimeter shooting - and were below par.

Jokes did finish the game with 27 points, but only 5/14 for two, 2/7 for three, and 11/14 free throws.

Without massive support from Gordon, Murray, and Westbrook, those numbers are just not enough to take down OKC, which is now in a very promising situation ahead of crucial ties.

In the other match of the night, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109, putting them 3-1 up in the series.

NBA PLAYOFFS - SEMIFINAL

Monday

Denver - Oklahoma 87-92

/Jokic 27 – Gilgeous Alexander 25/

Series tied 2-2

Indiana - Cleveland 129-109

/Siakam 21 - Garland 21/

Indiana lead the series 3-1

Tuesday

02.30: (3.35) New York (14.0) Boston (1.40)

05.00: (2.95) Golden State (13.0) Minnesota (1.50)

***odds are subject to change***