The Denver Nuggets May Have Played The Worst Offensive Quarter Of The NBA Season

The New York Knicks are not a good defensive team. As of Monday morning, they rank 24th in the NBA in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions), and they allow opponents to shoot 42% from three-point range, dead-last in the NBA.

But on Sunday, the Denver Nuggets made the Knicks look like defensive stalwarts with a pitiful second quarter. The Denver Nuggets are not a great offensive team, ranked 21st in offensive rating, but their second-quarter scoring drought may have been the worst offensive display in the NBA this season.

The Nuggets entered the second quarter tied 31-31. At halftime, they were down 39-62. They lost the second quarter 8-31.

Even worse, they nearly went the entire second quarter without a field goal. If not for a buzzer-beating layup by Ty Lawson to end the first half, the Nuggets wouldn't have made a basket in the entire second quarter.

Take a look at their shot chart in the second quarter:

Head coach Brian Shaw nearly played his entire team in the quarter, desperate for any energy and combination. The box score was ugly:

The Nuggets also had seven turnovers in the quarter, and only shot 6-12 from the free throw line. Against a stingier defense than the Knicks - who also give up the sixth most free throws per game in the NBA - the Nuggets might not have even scored 8 points in the quarter.

Center JaVale McGee had a particularly tough time:

One particularly brutal stretch is illustrated in the play-by-play from 4:40 remaining to Ty Lawson's buzzer-beating layup.

That's a total of seven missed field goals, two missed free throws, and two turnovers in less than five minutes.

Then, Lawson saved the day with this layup:

The Nuggets lost the game 109-93 and fell to 2-7 on the season.