A Rough Start Again

Nearly three minutes into the game, the score was still 2–0.

And in all that time, neither team had managed to score even a single field goal.

Clearly, that was nothing either side could be happy about.

Worse yet, it kept going.

On the next possession, Aaron Gordon got a chance to attack the basket with Jokic's help, but Little Jordan immediately brought him down with a foul.

At the line, Gordon made his first free throw, finally ending the Nuggets' scoring drought.

Right after that, Mike Malone called the first timeout of the game.

He felt he needed to adjust his team's strategy.

Things weren't looking good if they kept playing like this.

The timeout soon ended, and the game resumed.

Gordon stepped up to take his second free throw.

Perhaps the timeout had thrown him off, and his touch deserted him.

The second shot missed.

Little Jordan secured the rebound.

The Thunder immediately pushed the counter-attack.

Donovan hadn't just sat around during the timeout, of course. He'd also made some tactical adjustments, bringing Bane in for Batum to give the team even more spacing.

Back on offense, Westbrook initiated the play from the top of the key.

Chen Xi quickly moved up from the wing, then suddenly turned and made a reverse cut into the paint, drawing the Nuggets' defense inward.

On the other side, Bane used a screen to move quickly up to the weak-side wing, just beyond the arc. He caught Westbrook's pass and shot at once.

Dang!!!

Man proposes, but heaven disposes.

A simple three-point play still wasn't enough to turn things around.

They'd created an open look, but Bane's shot missed the basket.

The ball changed hands once again.

Now it was the Nuggets' turn to attack, and they also went for a