Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets performed impressively in Game 3. It was a strong game overall, but the Nuggets’ defense stood out.
Nicola Djokic struggled from long distances, but the Denver Nuggets managed to win a big game three. The nuggets often win their game through their attacks. Jokic is a big part of that, depending on how he does his team’s offense. In Game 3, it wasn’t because it was a stunning defensive performance.
Everyone was moving their feet well, which led to the Oklahoma City Thunder struggle. This was especially true in the fourth quarter and overtime.
OKC only scored two points in the extra period, leading to their heartbreaking loss. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are celebrating as they used their defenses to lead them to victory. Some people call them historical defences. This is a unique twist as Denver played well for that.
During the 2024-25 season, the Nuggets had the 21st best defensive ability in the league. They had a defensive rating of 115.1, which is a decent number, but far from the elite.
They are offensive-centric teams, as evidenced by their fourth-place ranking (118.9). Jokic is at the forefront of the attack as his teammates follow his directions.
Prior to this series against OKC, most people thought that Thunder would leave as the winner. It was quite anticipated as they had a 68-14 regular season record. Oklahoma City placed a 3-1 record against Denver in the 2024-25 regular season.
Unfortunately for Thunder fans, the playoffs are another beast. This is where the best teams stand out and the Nuggets have been going for the past few years.
They have the 2023 championship to prove their success in the playoffs. Most of their championship cores remained intact, making their performance even more impressive. Its core relied primarily on offense to win that title, but was defensively exceptional in Game 3.
This impressed Kendrick Perkins, who continued his ESPN to give their proper flowers to the defense of the Nuggets. That’s particularly impressive as the team has changed since Michael Malone opened fire in April.
He highlighted the work Christian Brown did to MVP favourite Shay Gilgauss Alexander.
“It was beautiful to see. It was a brawl on both ends of the floor… Let me say this: The Denver Nuggets leaned down and tied them up defensively. They shattered this on the defensive side of things tonight.”
“How crude they played, how engaged they were… Christian Brown was incredible with SGA.
“I thought Jokic would move those legs all night with pick-and-rolls. It was lovely to see the Denver Nuggets play defensively with that type of strength.”
The series went in the direction of Denver after Game 3. However, the Thunder will not give up this series without a fight. The Nuggets now have advantages in home court situations after winning the OKC. It’s going to be a tough game 4 in Denver, but they can win with the improved Shy Gilgauss Alexander.
My favourite to win the MVP was 18 points in the game. He fought energetic Christian Brown, who had an epic defense about him in Game 3. It should motivate Gilgus Alexander ahead of Game 4, as he wants to be the player he will take over. He has the talent to do so, but he needs to win his match against Brown.
Other Thunder players had good games, but they should have more opportunities to score against the Nuggets’ defense. Most people think Denver is a team with feet, but they can lock down if necessary. OKC has the firepower that overpowers them, which could lead to epic game 4.
