NBA 2018/19: 3 talking points from the Thunder's loss to the Nuggets

Heading into the game against the Nuggets, OKC had won 8 out of their last 10 games and sat second in the Western Conference. Both the Nuggets and Thunder had won 12 games, so the matchup provided an interesting look at where the Thunder were compared to one of their main rivals in the West.

The Nuggets raced into a commanding 63-42 half-time lead, although the Thunder performed much better in the second half and managed to cut the Nuggets' lead down to 5. OKC were however made to pay for poor shot selection late on in the fourth, and eventually fell to a 105-98 home defeat.

This was just the Thunder's third defeat in 15 games, so here are the three talking points from the disappointing defeat to their Western rivals.

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#3 Alex Abrines' struggles continue

Abrines had a stunning start to November but has since been ineffective

After Alex Abrines hit a career-high 25 points against the Clippers back at the start of November, many Thunder fans expected the Spaniard to step up and become an important player on the team. Despite this, Abrines featured for just eight minutes in the defeat, missing both of his three-point attempts.

The 25-year-old is the Thunder's best shooter aside from Paul George, and Abrines' poor form is hurting the team's offense. Hopefully, the shooting guard can re-discover his shot in the coming weeks, as the team is missing his ability to knock down open threes.

#2 Steven Adams' poor shooting night

Steven Adams struggled shooting the basketball last night

No matter whether the Thunder win or lose, Steven Adams normally walks away as one of the team's best performers. The 25-year-old recorded his 10th double-double of the season, and he tried to get the Thunder going at both ends, however, he suffered one of the worst shooting games of his career.

Adams finished with just 6-of-15 shooting from the field, as the big man struggled to finish against the impressive Mason Plumlee. It was a rare off-night for Adams, and the Thunder really felt it, although Billy Donovan and the Thunder will be confident that the big man will rediscover his scoring touch against Cavaliers on Wednesday.

#1 Westbrook's Triple-Double to Forget

Westbrook had an awful night shooting, going just 1-12 from three-point range

If you didn't watch the game you may have been impressed by Westbrook posting his second straight triple-double. Despite this, Russell Westbrook's wild shot selection was the main cause of the Thunder's loss.

Westbrook finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists, however, the 30-year-old was 6-23 on shooting and finished with an abysmal 1-12 from three-point range. The 2017 MVP was clearly upset by his performance and ESPN reported that Westbrook returned to the court after the game for a shooting session.

His shooting performance was a return to the 16/17 season when the Thunder man shot the ball excessively due to a lack of help. The Thunder now have Paul George and to a lesser extent, Dennis Schroder, so Westbrook needs to limit the ugly shot attempts and instead focus on finding open teammates.

Over the next few games, The Thunder need Westbrook to return to the unselfish player that was excellent against the Hornets and Warriors, rather than the version that was on show in last night's defeat.