I got my hopes up for nothing...
For one of the few times this season, I let emotion get in the way of the facts. It was going to happen sooner or later, so I better just deal with it. And it was a heck of a game no matter what the scoreboard said at the end.
Oklahoma CIty put together a complete contest against one of the better NBA teams but still managed to come away with a loss, number 30 on the year. Kevin Durant's seven points in the final minute should be the story of the night. But the Thunder are finding being the new kid on the block is tough to say the least.
Denver's Carmelo Anthony silenced the crowd and won his head-to-head battle royal with Durant in the final second. His three-pointer gave the Nuggets a 122-120 victory but could set the stage for future fireworks. The Western Conference is looking for a premier match-up, and KD-Melo could be just the ticket for years to come.
First things first, however. OKC roared back after trailing much of the first half thanks to a record 38-point second quarter. Earl Watson reminded the fans of his presence, sparking the Thunder to a season-high tally of 64 on their way to back-to-back wi...
Not so fast Thor-ites. Denver also has a big three, and they own the experience level to date. Nene inside, Chauncey Billups outside, and Anthony everywhere else proved to be hard to keep down in the second half. The Nuggets still trailed heading into the fourth, but the tone was set well before the final minutes.
The Thunder have not found a way to close out opponents, an extremely frustrating thing to watch week after week. Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook must be feeling the same thing because they refused to let the team crumble after giving up the lead. OKC as a whole had their best shooting night to date, but Denver still had one trick left.
They took Durant's triple with 2.7 ticks in stride and scored the knock-out blow while leaving the building. It is the third time already that the Thunder have lost without having a chance to respond. A hard lesson was learned, but Durant and Co. will be ready and hungry for a re-match against the Division leaders.
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