One of the best stretches of defensive basketball I’ve seen in recent memory from the Denver Nuggets occurred during the third quarter of Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After being down by as much as 15 points in the first half, the Nuggets came out of the halftime locker room and locked down the Thunder. Positional effort, quick hands and a stout inside presence propelled the Nuggets to a six-point lead entering the fourth quarter after outscoring the Thunder 32-18 in the third. All of this was accomplished with Nuggets star Nikola Jokic on a minutes restriction; he didn’t have much time on the floor in the quarter.

That lock-down lineup featured guards Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, forwards Wilson Chandler and rookie Torrey Craig and center Mason Plumlee.

At Nuggets practice on Tuesday, I asked Craig if defense was mostly a matter of effort. “I definitely think that defense is 75% effort,” he replied. “Even on breakdowns, if you’re going hard or competing … who knows what can happen? You can still end up getting a block or deflection or something off of mistakes. So, yeah, it’s a lot of effort.”

The effort was certainly there in the third quarter, and it remained consistent until a series of bad decisions near the end of regulation caused the Nuggets to lose a 95-94 heartbreaker. Coach Michael Malone certainly would’ve preferred that sort of effort rewarded with a victory.

Coaches in the NBA have to play to the strength of their players; there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. The Nuggets’ defense, in particular, was exemplary during much of the second half. It was what those particular players assembled on the court were able to do best; the combination of Craig and Plumlee in particular. The Nuggets’ defensive approach to that quarter was unlike anything fans had seen in recent years.

It begs the question: Would that same intensity and teamwork apply when the Nuggets are completely healthy? The team had already improved their defense dramatically by the addition of Paul Millsap alone. Would that sort of defense be able to improve even more when the Nuggets’ $90 million man returns from wrist surgery?

While the Nuggets’ defense — all things considered — has stabilized considerably this season, they have struggled to find consistency. In fact, consistently inconsistent play has the order of the day for the 2017-18 Denver Nuggets. When they look like they’ve taken a step forward, they take a step back. After they made a tremendous comeback against the New Orleans Pelicans in their previous game — coming back from 10 points down in the fourth to win it in overtime — they fail to execute down the stretch and lose a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Thunder on the road.

Maybe the Nuggets’ inconsistencies are a simple home/road dynamic that has been put on stark display this season; the team has won 11 games at home and only five on the road. That doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

When the Nuggets signed Craig to a two-way contract in the offseason, not much was known about him. While playing professionally in Australia, Craig was ‘discovered’ by Nuggets scouts and Tim Connelly’s brother Joe while he coached for the Sydney Kings. An offer to attend Nuggets Summer League in July came, and the hustling Craig stuck. He’s since split time with the Nuggets and Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G-League.

Craig’s defensive contributions have opened many eyes; the Nuggets’ coaching staff in particular. So quickly has the rangy forward impressed that he was inserted into the starting lineup the last two contests against the Pelicans and Thunder, adding that defensive effort he spoke of and setting an example on defense.

Despite losing, the Nuggets’ defensive effort was something special through parts of their loss to the Thunder. It may not be sustainable, and Craig will likely have to return to the Skyforce to avoid using up his two-way contract ‘time allotted’ to be on the NBA squad. However, what the Nuggets were able to do points them in a new directions, and maybe even a change in mentality toward the future that we haven’t seen in Denver since Dikembe Mutombo roamed the lanes.

Perhaps these Nuggets have finally understood: defense wins championships.