Offensive Struggles: Thunder and Nuggets Match Playoff Record for Lowest First Quarter Points

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder struggled to ignite their lethargic offenses in an early tip-off for Game 4 on Sunday, setting a record for the slowest start to an NBA playoff matchup.

The two teams managed to score just 25 points collectively in the first quarter, tying the record for the least amount of points in the opening period during the shot clock era.

At the conclusion of the first 12 minutes, the score stood at Thunder 17, Nuggets 8. This marked the lowest combined score for the opening quarter in playoff history since April 21, 2002, when Detroit led Toronto 16-9.

This record low was previously matched on May 20, 1999, when Portland and Utah combined for merely 25 points.

With numerous missed shots, clangs off the rim, and airballs, the game resembled a casual Sunday morning pickup match at a local gym. The Thunder and Nuggets saw a shooting percentage of just 18.2%, making only 8 of their 44 attempts.

Further compounding their struggles, Denver failed to make a single three-pointer, going 0-for-14, while the Thunder managed just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc.

Unfortunately for both sides, the situation didn’t improve much throughout the game. The overall shooting percentage of 33.5% in Oklahoma City’s 92-87 win marked the lowest in a playoff contest in over two decades. The last time a game had a worse combined shooting percentage was on May 21, 2004, when Detroit and Indiana shot only 30.8%, a game the Pistons won 72-67.

Prior to the game, both coaches insisted that the early start time of just after 1:30 p.m. local time would not significantly impact performance.

“It’s the same timing for them as it is for us. There’s no advantage or disadvantage,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “It’s a level playing field today for both teams, and we don’t give it much thought.”

In the first quarter, both teams recorded more turnovers (9) than successful shots (8). There were so many misses that Nikola Jokic grabbed six rebounds in the opening frame, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each pulled down five rebounds.

The only instance in NBA history with a lower first-quarter score occurred on March 31, 1954, when Syracuse led Minneapolis 13-10 at the end of the opening period of that year’s NBA Finals. Following that game, the league voted to introduce a shot clock, which was first utilized in the 1954-55 season.