OKLAHOMA CITY — Yes, the Nuggets missed Nikola Jokic. But they missed shots even more.
In a contest between shorthanded contenders that wavered between defensive excellence and offensive ugliness, Denver buckled for a key stretch and recovered too late in a 105-100 loss to the Thunder on Wednesday night.
Playing without Nikola Jokic (lower back pain) for just the second time this season, the Nuggets (33-16) shot 39% from the field including a collection of clumsy misses at the rim. But they managed to lead most of the night at Paycom Center thanks to an admirable defensive effort against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company.