The Denver Nuggets have been one of the NBA’s best teams in the first half of games this season.
They’ve also been the league’s worst after halftime.
Heading into their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in Oklahoma City, Nuggets acting coach Popeye Jones is pushing for better out of his team, especially in the early minutes of the third quarter, when things have often gone awry for the Nuggets.
“For some reason we play a little sloppy starting third quarters, and I tried to challenge them,” Jones said after Nikola Jokic’s big third quarter helped Denver to a 121-111 win over Sacramento on Friday.
Denver’s first-half net rating — the difference between points scored and points allowed per 100 possessions — is 7.5, among the top five in the league.
But after halftime, the Nuggets are a league-worst minus-8.8 and their differential between halves is the NBA’s largest by more than three points.
That swing was evident in the first meeting between Denver and the Thunder, on…