Nuggets vs. Thunder: 3 takeaways from Denver's fourth straight preseason loss

The Nuggets are down to their final chance to win a game this preseason.

Here are three takeaways from the Nuggets’ 124-94 loss Tuesday at Ball Arena:

1. Not all rest is created equal. The Nuggets held Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook out of their fourth preseason game for rest, coach Michael Malone said prior to the game. For Jokic, the night off feels like an acknowledgement he’s ready to go for the season opener. He scored 14 and 20 points, respectively, in Denver’s first two preseason games, despite not playing in the second half of either contest in Abu Dhabi, then Jokic dropped 21 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in 30 minutes on Sunday. For Westbrook, it feels like legitimate rest ahead of his 17th NBA season. In Murray’s case, it feels like rest is covering for knee injury management. Malone said Monday, Murray’s knee started feeling “funny” prior to Sunday’s game, and the issue didn’t dissipate during the first half, leading the team to hold him out of the second half. Murray was photographed at Monday’s practice with a sleeve on his left leg. Prior to the game, Malone said holding Murray out was always the plan given Denver’s three games in five nights, but if Murray doesn’t play Thursday, alarms will start sounding.

2. Tuesday’s lineups provided a look at what it might look like if Michael Porter Jr. staggered with the second unit. Without Murray and Jokic, Porter was aggressive and seemed to explore more of his off-the-dribble game. It was effective in the first quarter, as Porter made all four of his shots inside the arc and all four of his free throws, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the opening period. He also grabbed four rebounds in the first 12 minutes. Malone said postgame the most important thing Porter can do regardless of who he’s sharing the court with is to stay aggressive. That was the case Tuesday, and Porter showed he could still be productive without Murray and Jokic. That could be helpful come the regular season.

3. Zeke Nnaji might’ve relocated his jump shot just in time. It looked like Hunter Tyson had a head start claiming the 10th spot in Denver’s rotation, but Tyson’s struggled with his shot, a strength. After going 3 for 11 from deep in Denver’s first three preseason games, Tyson missed all three of his attempts against Oklahoma City, making him a 21.4% 3-point shooter this preseason. Nnaji, who has more size, better defensive chops and extra experience, is 6 for 11 from 3 after going 3 for 4 against the Thunder. Nnaji also recorded three rebounds, three blocks and a couple of steals. It might not mean much, as the Nuggets typically operate with a nine-man rotation in the regular season, but the 10th spot should be firmly up for grabs.

THUNDER 124, NUGGETS 94

What happened: A short-handed Nuggets squad led by three after the first quarter but trailed 62-53 at halftime. Oklahoma City sat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren in the second half and extended the lead to 16 to start the fourth quarter. The blowout got even worse in the fourth quarter.

What went right: Denver’s tertiary ball-handling options had quite the exposure to some of the league’s best perimeter defenders. Without Murray and Westbrook, Christian Braun and Julian Strawther started with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last year’s leader in steals, Luguentz Dort or Jalen Williams hounding them in the half-court offense. Neither Nuggets guard is a true point guard, and the duo combined for seven assists and as many turnovers. The good news is it’s about as tough of a defensive matchup as they’ll see, and they won’t be needed to handle as much on a typical night.

What went wrong: The turnover troubles returned. The Nuggets committed 24 turnovers that lead to 38 of Oklahoma City’s points. The Nuggets managed 13 points off of Oklahoma City’s 12 turnovers. The Thunder also enjoyed a 28-8 advantage in fast-break points.

Highlight of the night: Michael Porter Jr. made the most of his opportunity to operate more with the ball in his hands in the first half. Dario Saric passed to Porter at the top of the key. A couple of dribbles later, Porter had beaten Aaron Wiggins and put an exclamation point on the sequence by throwing down a left-handed dunk.

Up next: The Nuggets head to Minnesota for their preseason finale against the Timberwolves on Thursday.