Rocky Mountain Low: Nuggets Blow Out Thunder

If you didn't stay up to watch the late Thunder game on Thursday, you didn't miss much.

Kevin Durant was red hot once again, but the Thunder ran into a 3-point avalanche in Denver.  The resurgent Nuggets drained 14 3-pointers en route to a 101-88 win over Oklahoma City.

Durant scored 24 points in the first half, but things got away from the Thunder so badly, he didn't even play in the fourth quarter.  The NBA's leading scorer finished with 30 points in just 28 minutes.  

Ty Lawson led Denver with 16 points and 14 assists as the fast-paced Nuggets ran the Thunder ragged.  Randy Foye was on fire, scoring 24 points on 7-11 from the field and 6-9 from deep.  Evan Fournier also caught fire for Denver, draining four 3-balls off the bench to finish with 19 points.  

Denver brought the energy, outscoring the Thunder 14-4 in fast-break points and winning the rebound battle 53-46.  The Nuggets also dished out 24 assists to OKC's 11. 

The Thunder shot a lowly 35.3 percent from the floor and just 6-24 from downtown.  Jeremy Lamb shot 1-12, Serge Ibaka was 3-11 and Perry Jones was 2-7.  

Oklahoma City kept it close early on, trailing 27-26 after the first, but it was the middle quarters that doomed them.  The Rockets outscored OKC 33-25 in the second and 29-15 in the third, opening up a 23-point lead and allowing Scott Brooks to empty the bench. 

OKC (27-9) has lost four out of its past six games after having won 20 of 22.  The Thunder will look to right the ship on Saturday night at Chesapeake Arena against the pitiful Milwaukee Bucks. 

Denver has won four games in a row and improved to 18-17 overall.