Thunder break playoff record for points in a first half vs. Nuggets

That’s one way to bounce back from a Game 1 upset.

The Oklahoma City Thunder recaptured their rhythm in a massive way, trouncing the Denver Nuggets with a historic 87-point first half in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals series.

Their 87 points, capped off by two Chet Holmgren free throws in the dying seconds, set an all-time NBA Playoffs record for the most points in a first half.

Oklahoma City surpassed the previous record of 86 set by the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9, 2017. 

Buckets came easy for the Thunder right out of the gates, as they rode a 27-6 run over a six-minute stretch in the first quarter to establish a massive 24-point lead by the end of the frame.

They were lights out from the field, hitting 30 of their 51 field goals for 59 per cent and 10 of their 23 three-point attempts for 44 per cent. They also missed all but one of their 18 free throws for 94 per cent from the stripe.

Canadian superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 18 points, two rebounds and seven assists on six-of-eight shooting in 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets actually played a solid half on offence, with fellow MVP candidate Nikola Jokic heading back to the locker room with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

But the Thunder were on another level.

They out-rebounded the Nuggets 26 to 15, forced eight turnovers to their two, scored 32 points in the paint to Denver’s 12 and had 15 points off turnovers while giving up only three.

While they beat the record for points in a first half, the Thunder tied the record for points in any half of a playoff game. Milwaukee had 87 in the second half against Denver on April 23, 1978.

The scoring outburst comes after a shocking upset in Game 1 that saw the Thunder blow a late lead in controversial fashion, fouling Nuggets players up three instead of trusting in their defence. Aaron Gordon dealt the finishing blow with a last-second transition three-pointer, stealing the series opener on the road.

— With files from the Associated Press