Buzzer-Beater Downs Denver in OKC
The Denver Nuggets' preseason came to a dramatic close on Friday night, as they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 94-91 on a last-second three-pointer by Ousmane Dieng.
The Nuggets, resting stars Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, built a 16-point lead in the second half. However, the young Thunder squad, led by Dieng's 17 points, fought back to tie the game in the closing seconds.
With the clock winding down, Dieng buried a 26-foot three-pointer as time expired to hand the Nuggets their first preseason loss. The dramatic finish capped off a 4-2 preseason campaign for the Thunder ahead of their regular season opener.
Nuggets' Bench Shines in Defeat
Despite the loss, Nuggets head coach David Adelman was encouraged by the performance of his reserve unit. With the starters resting, players like Bones Hyland, Zeke Nnaji and Vlatko Čančar stepped up, keeping the game close against the Thunder's starting lineup.
"I was really proud of the way our bench guys competed tonight," Adelman said. "They showed a lot of fight and energy against a talented Thunder team. That's the kind of depth we're going to need to be successful this season."
The Nuggets' starters are expected to be back in the lineup for their regular season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers next week.
TL;DR
- The Denver Nuggets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 94-91 on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Ousmane Dieng.
- The Nuggets rested several key starters, but their bench unit kept the game close against the Thunder's starting lineup.
- The loss was Denver's first of the preseason, while the Thunder finished their exhibition schedule with a 4-2 record.
- The Nuggets' regular season begins next week against the Lakers, with the full starting lineup expected to return.