Sometimes the truth stings, but after a 149-106 dismantling by the Thunder in Oklahoma City, Adelman’s postgame candor might be exactly what this team needs to hear.
The Nuggets sucked on Wednesday night.
The 149-106 shellacking at the hands of the Thunder exposed not only some of the team’s deep-seated weaknesses but also what happens when most of the roster doesn’t show up to play.
And thank goodness David Adelman didn’t try to dress it up. No clever wordplay or tactical explanations. No “we’ll look at the film” coach-speak to pass the buck. Just the undeniable truth that every Nuggets fan who suffered through those 48 minutes already knew: Denver got straight-up embarrassed by the Thunder in Game 2 at the Paycom Center.
The Nuggets were the Nail in Game 2
Adelman’s unvarnished honesty continued as the Nuggets’ interim head coach discussed what went wrong: The Thunder came out with the right intensity, and the Nuggets most definitely did not, letting some early open shots impact how the team played defensively.
If you’ve watched enough Nuggets basketball this season, you know this isn’t necessarily a new trend. The team has had stretches where their offensive struggles bleed into their defensive effort. But in a playoff game? Against a hungry Thunder team looking to prove that they, themselves, didn’t “get punched” in Game 1? Terrible timing.
By the time Denver — at least Russell Westbrook — decided to match Oklahoma City’s energy, the scoreboard already had the basketball-watching public looking to hit the hay early. Down by 20-plus in the first quarter, the game was effectively over before most fans had finished their first beer.
The Thunder hammered our Nuggets early and often, with Adelman highlighting physicality as the most concerning part of the loss:
