What might be the world’s largest neck vein could be seen on Chet Holmgren as he unleashed a powerful roar.
The 7-foot-1 forward, often a gentle giant, then flashed a mean mug. And he flexed his muscles before pounding chests with Jaylin Williams.
Holmgren was feeling himself following an and-one layup early in the first quarter of OKC’s 149-106 beatdown of Denver on Wednesday at Paycom Center, and that swagger proved to be infectious.
After suffering a 121-119 home loss in Game 1 on Monday, OKC dominated Game 2 of the second-round playoff matchup. The Thunder trailed 2-0 and then never again on a night when it led by as many as 49 points, and it has tied the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
Here are four more takeaways from the win:
SGA, Thunder set the tone early on with a historic first half
A composed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proclaimed that OKC “should be good” following Monday’s Game 1 loss.
The superstar guard was confident in his team’s ability to bounce back, and the Thunder showed that resiliency right away.
OKC jumped out to a 45-21 lead by the end of the first quarter. That tied the Thunder’s franchise record for the most points scored in any quarter of a playoff game.
OKC then extended its lead to 87-56 at halftime. It set the record for the highest-scoring half by any team in playoff history.
Gilgeous-Alexander helped set the tone. He racked up 18 points and seven assists on 6-for-8 shooting from the field (75%) in the first half.
Thunder made strides on the glass
Aaron Wiggins is practically a superhero in NBA lore.
The “Aaron Wiggins Saved Basketball” meme is known by those who are a fan of the sport. And on Wednesday, OKC’s resident superhero bested The Joker.
Nikola Jokic was in position to snag a rebound following a missed shot by Lu Dort midway through the second quarter. But Wiggins came soaring behind him and snatched the ball out of the air for a putback dunk.
That was one of the many hustle plays on the glass for OKC, which made strides in that department.
Denver outrebounded OKC 63-43 in Game 1, and it recorded 21 offensive boards. But the Thunder outrebounded the Nuggets 44-38 in Game 2, and it held them to a less-extreme 13 offensive boards. Four of them came during garbage time in the fourth quarter.
Nikola Jokic struggled against OKC’s physical defense
The home crowd at Paycom Center had plenty to cheer for during OKC’s blowout victory.
But it might’ve cheered the loudest with 1:17 left in the third quarter. That’s when Nikola Jokic got called for an illegal screen, which marked his sixth foul and the end of his night.
It’s a night the three-time MVP will likely want to forget.
Jokic finished with just 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes of bruising basketball. From Isaiah Hartenstein to Holmgren to Williams, OKC bombarded Jokic with extra bodies from the opening tipoff.
Jokic was swarmed when he drove to the rim. He was swarmed when he touched the ball in the paint. He was swarmed when he tried to get an offensive board.
Jokic recorded a plus-minus of negative-36. It’s the worst plus-minus of his 10-year career.
OKC ended the drought for second-round home teams
Chaos has unfolded in the second round of these playoffs.
The No. 4-seeded Indiana Pacers have a 2-0 series lead over the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers.
The No. 3 New York Knicks have a 2-0 lead over the No. 2 Boston Celtics.
The No. 7 Golden State Warriors have a 1-0 lead over the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves.
Denver also escaped with a Game 1 win over OKC on Monday, contributing to a streak of six straight wins for road teams to start the second round. It’s the first time that has ever happened in league history.
But OKC put an end to it Wednesday in dominant fashion. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points and eight assists, while Holmgren added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
The best-of-seven series is now tied 1-1 entering Game 3 at 9 p.m. CT Friday in Denver.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @JTheSportsDude. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder demolishes Denver Nuggets to tie NBA playoff series at 1-1