Thunder Break Historic Ground with Record-Breaking 87-Point First Half in Game 2 Triumph Over Nuggets

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)— In an impressive performance, the Oklahoma City Thunder shattered the NBA playoff record for first-half scoring by racking up 87 points against the Denver Nuggets during Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday evening.

The Thunder eclipsed the former record of 86 points, which was set by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9, 2017, against the Golden State Warriors. Chet Holmgren, who had missed two crucial free throws late in Game 1, redeemed himself by sinking a pair with just a second left in the half to establish the new benchmark.

With this record-setting first half, the Thunder tied the all-time playoff record for points in any half, finishing the game with a decisive 149-106 victory. Previously, the Milwaukee Bucks had scored 87 points in the second half against the Nuggets on April 23, 1978.

Oklahoma City showcased an impressive shooting performance, hitting 58.8% from the field and converting 17 of 18 free throw attempts, which helped them build an 87-56 lead by halftime. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 18 points, and all five starters contributed with double-digit scoring in the first half.

In total, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points and eight assists over three quarters of play.

With this victory, Oklahoma City made history as the first team to win two playoff games by 40 points or more in a single postseason, having previously triumphed over Memphis 131-80 in Game 1 of their first-round matchup.

“SGA and the Thunder set a franchise-playoff record with 149 points!”

⚡️ 34 PTS ⚡️ 8 AST ⚡️ 11-13 FGM (84.6%) ⚡️ +51 while on the court ⚡️ OKC evens series 1-1 pic.twitter.com/IDzHjXi4yU

— NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2025

“This team has the ability to do that,” commented Denver’s interim coach, David Adelman. “Their historic plus-minus stats throughout the season illustrate how effectively they close out games. We need to start much better than that. We can’t afford to begin a game like this.”

This outcome marked a significant shift from Denver’s narrow 121-119 win in Game 1. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault noted that his team appeared more refined and capitalized on what they learned from their previous encounter with the Nuggets.

“I didn’t view tonight as a reaction but rather as us simply being true to ourselves, which has been our identity all season long,” Daigneault stated. “We don’t let the previous game dictate our confidence or urgency. This team has a solid foundation that we strive to maintain each day, and I believe that’s what we demonstrated tonight.”