Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with his first triple-double of the season, amassing 16 points, 12 boards and 13 assists. The Nuggets committed 10 of their 15 turnovers in the first half, carrying a preseason trend into their first meaningful minutes of 2024-25. After halftime, the lack of scoring could be mostly chalked up to missing shots — 22 of their 29 attempts in the decisive third frame. “They’re a great defensive team,” coach Michael Malone said before the game. “They’re physical. They try to push you out. … The one challenge we have is if we can try to force the Thunder to be a half-court team, which means that we’re taking care of it and not giving up 25-plus points in transition, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win.”