One day after the Oklahoma City Thunder ran away with a blowout victory on national television, the Denver Nuggets bounced back and delivered an incredible performance of their own.

The Nuggets defeated the Thunder 140-127 in an offensive slugfest on Monday night, scoring at least 33 points in every single quarter. The Nuggets shot 60.5% from the field, 56.3% from three-point range, and 90% from the free throw line. After Denver underperformed on quality shots the day before, they overperformed tonight, and the Thunder simply couldn’t maintain pace.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were dynamic. Jokic had 35 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists compared to just one turnover, shooting 15-of-20 from the field. One day after Jokic’s efficiency was a big talking point following a painful fall on his shooting elbow, Jokic clearly shrugged off the pain and focused on exactly what the Nuggets needed him to do to generate the best shots possible. He commanded the attention of a smaller Thunder team and handled the defensive pressure of Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, both, or neither in expert fashion.

Murray followed up a subpar scoring performance on Sunday (17 points on 17 shots) with a far more dynamic 34 points on 11-of-22 from the field. Murray moved well, generating space constantly on jumpers, floaters, driving layups, and more. He also played efficiently with six assists compared to zero turnovers, doing exactly what the Nuggets needed from him with and without Jokic on the floor. For as bad as this matchup *should* be for Murray with talented defensive guards all over the floor for OKC, this was an encouraging performance from the Nuggets second star. He got exactly what he wanted and helped lift up the non-Jokic groups to positive production.

Beyond Denver’s two stars, Michael Porter Jr., Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson, and Christian Braun had 17, 16, 16, and 14 points respectively. Porter shot efficiently in his role (3-of-6 from three) and commanded the attention of Thunder defenders with his size/shooting combo. Westbrook made several excellent plays creating offense for himself and others while also hustling up rebounds. Seven assists to two turnovers and 3-of-5 from three is a great line in his 31 minutes filling in as starter for Aaron Gordon, who sat out with a calf injury.

Braun started the game slowly as a scorer and defender but stuck with it today. He hit big shots in the second half, blocked a stepback three from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and had five assists of his own. Watson joined him as a contributor Denver needed in this one shooting 6-of-7 from the field and an absurd 4-of-4 from three. The Nuggets needed Watson’s shots, and every single time, he delivered. Watson also had multiple blocks and played a role in Denver’s defense. He will have to keep locking in on that end especially in isolation situations, but the shotmaking is such a great advantage when it’s there.

Finally, Jalen Pickett and Zeke Nnaji each played small but important roles. Pickett hit his own shots, including 2-of-3 from three and a bully ball possession inside that was a throwback to his Penn State days. Nnaji played both next to Jokic and as the backup center in Jokic’s place, making hustle plays and connecting things together for the Nuggets on both ends.

Overall, it was a great scoring night for Denver that carried them on the second night of a back-to-back.

Resilience

So many teams in the Nuggets position would have folded like a cheap chair tonight. No Aaron Gordon. Both Jokic and Murray had an opportunity to take tonight off and rest in a low probability situation. Denver’s already playing a shortened rotation without Julian Strawther.

Nope. The Nuggets didn’t allow that to get to them, nor have they ever truly allowed a tough situation to get to them this season. Including tonight, the Nuggets are now 11-1 on the second night of back-to-backs, a truly impressive figure. The only loss? To the Houston Rockets in a game Jokic and Gordon didn’t play.

It’s not a stretch to say that Denver’s resiliency and toughness has saved their season. If they simply had a normal record on back-to-backs like 7-6 instead of 12-1, Denver would currently be jockeying with the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Sacramento Kings to get out of the Play-In Tournament. Because they fought through those games and have excelled in situations where others falter, they’ve earned the fourth best record in the NBA. It’s a gigantic difference.

Things haven’t worked perfectly for Denver this year. The fit with Russell Westbrook has been great when he’s with Jokic and a bit clunky otherwise. Jamal Murray started the year slow before he has truly kicked it into another gear. Michael Porter Jr. started well and has been up-and-down since the break. Aaron Gordon’s issues staying on the floor have put Denver’s defense in a difficult position, as has the transition from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Christian Braun.

And yet, through all of that, the Nuggets are still here. They still tied the season series against the best team in the NBA (OKC) at 2-2. They’re currently the second seed, and with injuries to LeBron James of the Lakers, Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Grizzlies, and Amen Thompson of the Rockets, they have a really good shot at the second seed in the conference.

Denver’s toughness and grit shouldn’t go unnoticed. It’s a championship level trait to have, and it mean everything when the playoffs begin.

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