OKLAHOMA CITY — Armed with another compelling rookie whose debut was a year in the making, the Thunder had extra reason to be inspired Sunday for the 2023-24 home opener.
All it took was two possessions for Chet Holmgren to receive a humbling jolt and for a booming crowd to lose its edge.
Nikola Jokic easily scored twice over the 7-foot-1 Holmgren in the post to start the game, and that was enough to foreshadow the rest: a 128-95 Nuggets rout guided by Jokic’s 28 points and 14 rebounds, aided by Michael Porter Jr.’s 20-point, nine-rebound contribution and punctuated by clinical defense.