Did the Denver Nuggets enter Game 2 with the Oklahoma City Thunder demoralized following their Game 1 loss on Sunday? It certainly looks that way, as the Nuggets are down, 59-44, at halftime. Poor shooting combined with shoddy defense let the team down, but they started to show some life in the final minutes of the half when they went on a 9-0 run and brought a 26-point deficit to just 12.
Somewhat surprisingly, it hasn't just been the Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook show like it was in Game 1. James Harden, who scored just five points off the bench in the first game, has 14 through the first half of the second game. Serge Ibaka (9) and Kendrick Perkins (6) have led the Thunder to a 29-15 advantage in rebounds. Durant has scored 11 points, followed by Ibaka's 10.
The Nuggets failed to make a bucket in the first four minutes of the game, but eventually improved their shooting to 37.8 percent (14-37). Al Harrington leads the Nuggets with 10 points, while Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton each have nine. Unlike in the first game, the Nuggets have made their free throws (10-13) only to go cold shooting early on.
What does George Karl have to say during halftime to get these guys going?