Thunder vs Nuggets, preview and gamethread: OKC has one last shot to show it can compete against Denver

Game: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Denver Nuggets

Time: 7PM CST

Location: Chesapeake Arena, OKC

Broadcast: FSOK

Counterpart: Denver Stiffs

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The Thunder are back in action tonight against the Nuggets. Denver, currently in 2nd place in the West, are forever chasing the Warriors for the top seeding, despite a setback last night. Meanwhile, the Thunder are looking to avoid falling into the cellar again, ahead of the Spurs by only half a game but not owning the tiebreaker between the two.

The Thunder are coming off a solid if unspectacular win over the Pacers, a small bit of revenge after giving up a big lead and losing at the buzzer in Indiana. For the first time in a while, OKC looked as if they had an actual game plan to execute, focused in part by utilizing Steven Adams in the middle, which paved the way for the big Kiwi to score 25 on 11-14 shooting, his highest offensive output since a Dec. 14 loss to the Nuggets. In doing so, the Thunder set themselves up for a massive 3rd quarter where their offense finally found some range on their way to a 24-0 blitz of the Pacers, which all but determined the outcome.

Denver is coming into tonight on the 2nd night of a back-to-back after getting waxed by the Rockets. This could go one of two ways — either the Nuggets are still burnt from last night and show up dazed and lackluster, or they look to take out their frustrations on OKC.

Or maybe it’s a 3rd. Denver’s depth has repeatedly been a problem for the Thunder, and OKC has failed to really put forth a strong effort against them throughout the season. I’m still waiting for a half or even a quarter where the Thunder look like they belong on the same court as Denver.

Maybe tonight’s the night?