Did you expect the Nuggets vs Thunder series to break records? Well, it did, just not the way you’d expect. The first quarter of the game was a bit of a snooze fest. With just 25 combined points scored, this becomes the lowest Q1 points total in NBA playoff history. When the two MVP contenders go head-to-head, you’d want to see a bloodbath. Instead, the Nuggets took 14:07 to hit double digits in the game. But it gets worse.

With 8 minutes left of the second quarter, Denver was trailing by a huge 10 points. Their ace Nikola Jokic had 0 points, with just 6 rebounds and 2 assist to his name. They also tied the NBA playoff record for the most 3PA in a quarter without a make, going 0-for-14. This game is something out of a movie. But then they remembered- they have something that this thunderous OKC team doesn’t- a championship. And they lived upto it.

In just 5 minutes, the Mile High Club cut the lead down to just 5 points, with Christian Braun being the unlikely hero. He’s outscored the Joker with 11 points to his name. Jokic himself got onto the points tally eventually, with a 6/6/2 scoreline just seconds before the HT buzzer. Do we have another triple-double on the cards for the Serbian?

It was a very dramatic first half indeed. It’s no surprise that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the scoring with 15 points to his name- 4 more than Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon combined. But despite a 6-point first half lead, they have a lot to improve on. Both teams went 3/22 from the 3Pt line, with a 13.6% accuracy. Neither of them are Boston Celtics, specialising from the deep. But this is not upto the mark from either teams, as the Thunder averaged 37.4% and the Nuggets averaged 36.7% from deep this season.

Denver’s first quarter 8 points was the lowest in NBA playoffs history. When you consider the Thunder’s trend of holding opponents to 19.2 points per first quarter, it softens the blow. But that record took 19 years to break. Which team held this record previously, though?

Denver Nuggets break lowest Q1 total after a 19-year wait

In Game 3 of the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks ECF, NY managed just 9 first-quarter points against Indiana’s smothering perimeter defense. The Knicks’ 3/21 shooting (14.3%) included six airballs, with Patrick Ewing missing all five attempts from the post. That and Denver’s Game 4 vs OKC make up the only two single digit first quarters in postseason history.

The Thunder have a history of being on the good side of this record. During their 2016 semifinal series against the Spurs, they held Gregg Popovich’s team to just 11 points on 4/23 shooting (17.4%). But this wasn’t just due to their defensive brilliance around the rim. Oklahoma City’s length disrupted passing lanes, generating 7 steals in the quarter.

4th on the list is a lot more recent than most- and it involves an unlikely suspect. In the 2024 Western Conference first round, the Mavericks recorded just 12 points in the opening quarter, with Luka Doncic shooting just 1/3 (12.5%) in that dreadful 5th game. Mile Highers- do these soften the blow a little bit?

It’s not a first quarter to remember for the Nuggets. These records are always gonna be a thorn in their side. The haters are going to have a field day this this one. The only way they can set the record straight is going back to the Paycom with an unprecedented 3-1 lead. Is it at all likely that a Nikola Jokic-led side sees the conference finals for the 2nd time in 3 years?