SGA: Thunder will 'find out what we're made of' after Game 1 loss

The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are facing their first real test of the playoffs after dropping Monday night's Game 1 at home to the Denver Nuggets.

The 121-119 loss marked the Thunder's first defeat of the playoffs after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is excited to see his team face the adversity.

"It should be fun," Gilgeous-Alexander said, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "We're going to find out what we're made of, what we're really made of. Nobody expected it to be smooth sailing this whole journey. No journey in life is, and we know that. Today's a bump in the road - unexpected. No one expects to lose, especially that way, but it's the game of life. So it's about how you respond to getting knocked down."

The Thunder led by as much as 14 against the Nuggets in the second half, and by nine with a little more than three minutes remaining. Denver then outscored Oklahoma City 19-6 in the final 4:31 of the game to steal the contest.

Oklahoma City also made the questionable decision to foul while up three with 15 seconds remaining. Alex Caruso took two quick fouls that burned just 1.9 seconds off the clock and kept the Nuggets in the game.

"I can do a better job of getting us organized and getting us quality looks," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "Then down the other end, I thought some of the fouls that put them on the line without using clock obviously helped them get back into it. So it was both ends, it was everybody. We're all in it together. We need to execute better. I need to coach better. They need to execute the plan better, and we just need to be a better team in Game 2."

Two missed free throws from Chet Holmgren with 9.5 seconds left led to Denver's Aaron Gordon splashing in the game-winning three with just 2.8 seconds left on the clock.

"We have to embrace the struggle of the playoffs," Daigneault said. "We have to embrace the adversity of the playoffs. The playoffs are a mountain to climb, so it's not going to be easy for anybody."

The Thunder will look to even the series in Game 2 on Wednesday.