OKC Thunder: Player Grades feature Dort show in Denver loss

There’s no doubt the night belonged to Lu Dort. The OKC Thunder started their five-game road trip with a loss to the Denver Nuggets who came out with firepower.

However, the loss won’t take away from the marvelous performance we all witnessed from Dort. Whether shooting magnificently from three or taking fellow Canadian Jamal Murray out of the game, you name it, he was doing it.

OKC came out looking rejuvenated in the first quarter. Dort was sensational to start with nine points, two rebounds, two assists, and going four of five from the field. He was very confident and looked comfortable under the rim.

Not to mention his phenomenal defense on Murray who was one of six from the field in the first quarter. It’s amazing to see Dort’s growth in his second season from not only a bona fide defender in crucial moments but to now also a legit scorer on any given night. The future All-Star and Most Improved Player bells are ringing.

OKC Thunder player grades note second-quarter collapse

Unfortunately for the Thunder, the second quarter saw the beginning of the end of the Thunder’s pursuit of a victory. The Nuggets took control after the first twelve minutes and the rest was history.

Denver’s second-chance points and being outrebounded 31-20 plagued OKC in the second quarter, propelling the Nuggets to a 65-52 lead at half-time. Denver was also getting more shots in the paint which made a big difference.

Despite Dort’s incredible efforts on both ends of the floor, the Nuggets remained on top for the rest of the game.

Let’s reflect on more of the encounter in player grades.