Nuggets at Thunder
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are once again looking like the best 1-2 tandem in the NBA, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have regained the appearance of a contender. The superstar pair looks to keep the Thunder unbeaten when the Denver Nuggets come to town Sunday night.
Although it took double overtime, Westbrook and Durant's combined 91 points led Oklahoma City to a 139-136 victory at Orlando on Friday. The Thunder started last season 3-12 but could emerge from this one with a 3-0 mark for just the second time since the franchise moved from Seattle prior to the 2008-09 season. The youthful Nuggets are likely wondering what they have in front of them after two wildly different outcomes to begin the season. Following an impressive 20-point win at perceived title contender Houston to open the season, Denver was pasted 95-78 by Minnesota in its home opener two nights later.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (1-1): First-year head coach Michael Malone figures to see some change in his team's performance from game-to-game as Denver seeks an identity, but the difference in their first two efforts was striking. "We came out very, very flat," he told reporters. "No pace to our game, no purpose to our game. The team we saw on Wednesday night in Houston was not the team we saw tonight." The Nuggets have struggled to put forth complete efforts in Oklahoma City of late, losing four straight meetings on the road by an average of 14.8 points.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (2-0): Even more important for Durant than his 43-point effort against Orlando was his ability to log 54 minutes after coming off an injury-plagued season. "This game helped me a lot," Durant told reporters. "Playing a fourth quarter game, double OT game. Just getting me used to that, it felt great." He and Westbrook topped 40 points in the same game for the first time since March 2012 and the third time in their careers.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Oklahoma City has grabbed 22 more rebounds than its opponents through the first two games.
2. Nuggets PF Joffrey Lauvergne is 8-of-12 from the floor and has made each of his four free throws.
3. Denver is one of four NBA teams against whom Durant averages at least 30 points (30.3).