Jokic's shooting struggles cost Nuggets dearly

The Denver Nuggets lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening game of the 2026-27 NBA season at Paycom Center. The team made only 31 of its 82 field goal attempts. Serbian star Nikola Jokic scored 13 points on 5 of 19 shooting. Jamal Murray was successful only twice on 11 attempts.

Head coach David Adelman assessed the offensive stagnation in his postgame press conference. Adelman said that players trying to find solutions alone instead of taking responsibility was a mistake. In his view, the defensive pressure on Jokic and Murray was creating open looks for other players, and those chances had to be converted.

Adelman said the team needs to rethink its confidence and roles. He stressed that passing up open shots against the league's best defense will be costly. The coach said he liked the players' effort and tempo, but added that the game did not work well.

On the Thunder side, starter Isaiah Hartenstein said that the key to stopping the opponent's offense was a crowded forward and center rotation along with disciplined defense. Hartenstein also highlighted the team's trust in one another and its consistency against the ups and downs experienced over the season.