Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets had an impressive performance in Game 3. It was an overall strong game, but the Nuggets’ defense stood out, which drew praise from Kendrick Perkins.
Despite Nikola Jokic struggling from long range, the Denver Nuggets took a big victory in Game 3. The Nuggets often win their games through their offense. Jokic is a big part of that with how he conducts the team’s offense. That was not the case in Game 3 because it was a masterful defensive performance.
Everyone was moving their feet well, which led to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s struggles. This was especially true in the fourth quarter and overtime.
OKC only scored two points in the extra period, leading to the heartbreaking loss for them. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are celebrating because they used their defense to power them to a victory. Some people call them a historic defense, which is a unique twist because Denver played better on that end.
Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver PostThe Nuggets’ defense gave them the victory
In the 2024-25 season, the Nuggets had the 21st-best defense in the league. They had a defensive rating of 115.1, which is a decent number, but far from elite.
They are an offense-focused team, as evidenced by their 4th-place ranking in offensive rating (118.9). Jokic spearheads that offense, as his teammates follow his instructions.
Ahead of this series against OKC, most people thought the Thunder would come away as victors. It was a fair expectation because they had a 68-14 regular season record. Oklahoma City also had a 3-1 record against Denver in the 2024-25 regular season.
Unfortunately for Thunder fans, the Playoffs are a different beast. This is where the best teams stand out, which the Nuggets have done over the past few years.
They have the 2023 championship to prove their success in the Playoffs. Most of their championship core is still intact, which made their performance even more impressive. That core mostly relied on offense to win that title, but they were exceptional defensively in Game 3.
This impressed Kendrick Perkins, who went on ESPN to give the Nuggets’ defense their well-deserved flowers. That is also particularly impressive because the team has changed since Michael Malone’s firing in April.
He highlighted the job Christian Braun did up against MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored only 18 points.
“It was a beautiful thing to see. It was a brawl on both ends of the floor… Let me say this: the Denver Nuggets buckled and strapped down defensively. They grinded this one out tonight on the defensive side of things,” Perkins said on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt.
“How scrappy they played, how engaged they were… Christian Braun was phenomenal on SGA.
“I thought Jokic moved those feet all night long in the pick and roll. It was beautiful to watch the Denver Nuggets play with that type of intensity defensively.”
OKC will want to strike back
The series has gone in Denver’s direction after Game 3. However, the Thunder will not give up this series without a fight. The Nuggets have the advantage now with the home-court situation after winning in OKC. It will be a tough Game 4 in Denver, but they can win with an improved Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The favorite to win the MVP only had 18 points in the game. He struggled against the energetic Christian Braun, who played spectacular defense on him in Game 3. That should motivate Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of Game 4 because he wants to be the player who will take over. He has the talent to do so, but he must go win his matchup against Braun.
The other Thunder players had good games, but they should create more opportunities to score against the Nuggets’ defense. Most people think Denver is a slow-footed team, but they can lock down if they need to. OKC has the firepower to overwhelm them, which could lead to a magnificent Game 4.