Perk is HYPED on the Denver Nuggets after Game 1 🗣️ ‘JOKIC WAS PUNISHING THEM!’ | First Take

Perk is HYPED on the Denver Nuggets after Game 1 🗣️ ‘JOKIC WAS PUNISHING THEM!’ | First Take

Let’s move on to the next subject, which is the Denver Nuggets. They pulled off a comeback of their own to take down the top seated Thunder in game one. Chad Homegrren missed a pair of free throws to push the lead to three late in the fourth quarter with about 9 and 1/2 seconds left. That gave Aaron Gordon the opportunity to sink a three with 2.8 seconds left on the clock for his second game winner of the playoffs. Here’s Gordon and SGA with their thoughts on game one. But we just didn’t want to miss the moment. We didn’t want to miss the opportunity. We knew if we waited, it may be too late. So um I’m I’m glad we showed our uh you know medal, but um our grit, but we’re not satisfied. We didn’t expect our whole run to be sunshine and rainbows, and we know that. Um it’s about how we respond, and there’s nothing we can do about what just happened. So there’s there’s no point to um have our head down or be sad about it or sulk about it. All we can do is be better for the for the next game and that’s what we’re focused on. Now look, the th the Thunder will have trouble moving on if Joic keeps putting up games like this. The man he recorded a double double by halftime and ended the game with 42 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists. The Joker became just the fourth different player to score at least 40 points, grab 20 rebounds, and dish out five assists in a playoff game. Joining Wil Chamberlain twice, who did it twice? Shaquille O’Neal and Giannis Anthonyo Perk, how much trouble is OKC in after losing game one. Oh, they’re in trouble. And I’m concerned. I’m concerned. And it’s not because of the perimeter play. We know what SGA is going to bring to the table. Alex Caruso is a pit bull. Luke Dart, Jayd Dub, they’re going to defend at a high level, but Jokic and Aaron Gordon had 64 points out of the 121 points. They were punishing and I mean making them smell like cologne. Instant Miyaki bun number nine, Chad Homegr, Nazelle Hardenstein. They look afraid. They look afraid. They look afraid of the moment. They were shying away from the contact. Listen, go back and watch the way that Zubac played Joic and watch the way that those two guys played Joic. Chad Homegrred, you supposed to be that guy to cancel out Eron Gordon. Eron Gordon was huge in this game with 22 points. Listen, if they don’t get better, if they don’t get better and man the hell up, I don’t I don’t know how OKC wins this series. Seriously, Jokic is having it his way. Wendy, go ahead. So, they would never admit this, and I don’t blame him, but on uh Saturday when game seven was happening in Denver between the Clippers and the Nuggets, even with Kawawaii looking like that, I I’ll bet that those Thunder were secretly pulling for the Clippers cuz they don’t want this powerhouse coming in. And you are right, Perk. This was really an ode to how good Zubots did. Uh, and really the whole Clippers, but how Zubots did against him because by Joic standards, his games five, six, and seven were just okay. They were great for everybody else. They were just okay. Well, you had premium Jokic coming in here. And that’s the thing about Joic. The dude does not get tired. You know, we had a great stat yesterday. The teams coming off a game seven with one day off going on the road. They lost by an average of 20 points. I had very low expectations for the Nuggets, but Zubach breaks or I mean Joic breaks that mold. He does not like anybody else. He doesn’t get tired and he’s a horse. And as good as they are defensively in Oklahoma City and they’re an awesome defensive team. This is a team that has won like 130 games the last two years combined. They’re awesome defensively, but they don’t have an answer when Joic is playing this way. And here’s the other thing. The Thunder have a lot going for them. I will, you know, I’ve been saying for months how they I believe in them that they’re going to win the Western Conference. The one place where they’re a little weak is when they need scoring outside of Shay under pressure. Now, there have been times when they’ve gotten it. There’s been times when Jaylen Williams has done it. There’s been times when Chad has done it. But when they face the pressure, they have not been reliable. They were up 11 points in the fourth quarter of this game. Sheay made a a driving basket. They got an 11-point lead with four minutes to go. After that, they couldn’t do anything offensively. And that is where that concern is. The combination of those two factors, Joic and that scoring under pressure, not having a reliable second option, that is where they can be beaten. And that’s where they got beat last night. Well, let me say this. A couple of things that are on my mind. Number one, um Jokic is sensational. I I marvel at this guy. I mean, I I see guys 611, 7 feet, 7’2, and he shoves them aside like paper. It’s unbelievable to watch. It’s it’s you can’t jump onto a curb and you can’t stop him. Number two, I’ve never seen him as demonstrative as he was on the sidelines and on the court yesterday. I I I mean demonstr demonstrative in in in in trying to motivate his guys, okay? Even when they were down 113 102 with a little over four minutes left. So I’m looking at that. He wanted it bad, okay? And he clearly wants it bad. Russell Westbrook, I’m going to give him some love. 18 points off the bench to energize a bunny. He just continues to defy father time. This brother’s special. Let’s give Russell Westbrook some love. Let me say this. How many times have you both heard me say my concern about OKC was Jaylen Williams? Now they got out. They got out rebounded 63 to 43. They got crushed on the boards because Jokic and Aaron Gordon played bully ball and we know that. Okay, we understand that. Chad Hongren choked at the free throw line. He’s a good player. I like him. Tremendous promise. I’m a fan. But he choked at the free throw line last night. Ain’t no other way to slice that. But we go, you think I’m gonna forget to bring up Jaylen Williams when I brought that up. 25% shooting, five for 20. You don’t did we not say SGA is going to need some help in order to win a series like this? You know they struggle offensively, Wendy. Well, guess what? Your your struggles are alleviated if Jaylen Williams shows up to help SGAA. Five for 20 ain’t acceptable. Rather than SGA sitting next to him, he needed to be up there on that podium by his damn self explaining why he didn’t have a better game. Because he’s going to need to have a better game in order for Oklahoma City to advance to the conference final.

Kendrick Perkins and Brian Windhorst join Stephen A. Smith on First Take to react to the Denver Nuggets’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

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