OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder set an NBA playoff record for first-half points with 87 against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series Wednesday night.
Oklahoma City surpassed the previous record of 86 set by the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9, 2017. Chet Holmgren, who missed two critical free throws late in Game 1, made a pair with a second remaining to set the record.
The Thunder tied the record for points in any half of a playoff game on their way to a 149-106 win. Milwaukee had 87 in the second half against Denver on April 23, 1978.
The Thunder shot 58.8% from the field and made 17 of 18 free throws to take an 87-56 lead at the break. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 18 points. All five Thunder starters scored in double figures in the first half.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points and eight assists in three quarters.
Oklahoma City became the first team to post two wins by at least 40 points in a postseason. The Thunder rolled past Memphis 131-80 in Game 1 of their first-round series.
“This is a team that does that,” Denver interim coach David Adelman said. “There’s a reason why they have historic plus-minus numbers throughout the season as they put people away. So you’ve got to have a much better start than that. We can’t come out like that.”
It was a dramatic change from Denver’s 121-119 victory in Game 1. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said his team looked sharper and took advantage of having learned more about the Nuggets.
“I didn’t really look at tonight as a response as much as I looked at tonight as just us being who we are, and that’s how we’ve been all season,” Daigneault said. “We don’t really respond to the last game. When we win, we don’t have more confidence. When we lose, we don’t have more urgency. I think this team has a really good baseline that we just try to return to every day when the sun comes up and we have a game. And I thought that’s what tonight was.”
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