Thunder vs Nuggets G3 Preview: Alexander wants to regain home-court advantage Can Jokic bounce back strongly

At 10 a.m. Beijing time on May 10, the Thunder will play the Nuggets on the road to start the third game of the series. In the first two games, the two sides played to a 1-1 draw. Alexander PK Jokic, who can win the third game?

The Thunder were killed by Gordon in the first game, but rebounded strongly in the second game and staged a stunning 43-point victory. The next two games will move to Denver, and the Thunder only need to win one of those two away games to regain home-court advantage. That doesn't seem like a difficult task for a team that has a 32-8 regular season record on the road and wins both of its first two games on the road (two wins over the Grizzlies) in the playoffs.

If they want to win at least one game, the Thunder will need to continue their hot form in Game 2. In that game, they led by 24 points at the end of the first quarter and scored 87 points in the first half, leading the Nuggets by as many as 49 points.

"Whether it's 100 points or two points, it's 1-1 in aggregate now, and I think that's crucial," Thunder guard Alexander said, "and like I said, in a series, every game is going to be different. Both sides will make adjustments, the audience is different, the atmosphere of the game is different. It can be a smooth start or a slump, and everything is uncertain. So, we have to put aside the last win and focus on the next one. ”

The Thunder will most likely follow the tactical strategy of limiting Nuggets center Jokic. They used a tough physical confrontation against the three-time MVP to disrupt his rhythm, and Jokic left the court with six fouls late in the third quarter. In the G2 game, he only scored 17 points, 8 rebounds, and had 6 turnovers; And in the Nuggets' first game win, Jokic chipped in 42 points and 22 rebounds.

Jokic acknowledged the Thunder's performance, bluntly saying that only one team on the court played at the level it should have, while teammate Gordon cheered for him. "They fouled Jokic as soon as they came up, they fouled Jokic the whole game, that's obvious. The referee couldn't blow every penalty or blew the whistle almost every round, but they did foul all the time. The Thunder just love it. ”

Jokic isn't alone. The Nuggets G2 shot just 37.9 percent from the field, had 21 turnovers and trailed 38-44 in rebounds. In the opening game, they had a rebounding advantage of as many as 20.

The Nuggets will respond as they have done in the past with a championship legacy. In Game 3 of the first-round series, they also lost by a big score, but quickly rebounded in Game 4 to beat the Clippers; Last year, they also won three games in a row after trailing the Timberwolves 2-0, but were eliminated 3-4.

Interim head coach David Adelman said the players reflected on their performances after watching the video of the game today. 'A lot of the players have their own ideas about how they will perform in the second game,' he said, "and it will allow us to let go of our baggage and do better in the next game." ”

In addition, Porter's health is also a cause for concern. Although he didn't appear on the injury list for Game 3, his form has been up and down since he sprained his left shoulder in the first round, with his shooting feeling up and down. In the opening game, he had to sit on the bench at key moments, while Westbrook's playing time increased.

List of injuries and illnesses

Thunder: Topic is out

Nuggets: Holmes is out

ESPN predicts the win rate: Thunder 64.3%, Nuggets 35.7%