Key Takeaways

• Cam Johnson left the game with a right ankle sprain after 11 minutes, limiting Denver’s top three-point shooter and forcing adjustments in the lineup and spacing.
• Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc and 20 points, but his production cannot be the standard; the team needs multiple reliable outside threats.
• Denver shot 8-of-30 from three while the Thunder were 11-of-43, reflecting a broader shooting slump that affected both teams and contributed to a disjointed second half.
• Nikola Jokić went 1-of-7 from deep, and guard Jamal Murray attempted only one three, illustrating a broader lack of perimeter volume beyond Gordon in the guard lineup.
• Christian Braun and Trevon Brazile also struggled from deep (1-of-6 and 0-of-4 respectively), signaling a need for players to reclaim their shooting form or for new contributors to emerge.
• The Thunder’s defense was among the league’s best, intensifying the Nuggets’ spacing challenges and making efficient ball movement and kick-outs more critical without Johnson on the floor.
• If Johnson’s absence persists, Denver must rely on more than Gordon for shooting, improve rotation depth, and encourage Murray to take more threes to stabilize the offense.