The Thunder had a major change in roster right before Thursday's trade deadline. It certainly seemed to pay off on Sunday night.

Oklahoma City hosted the Denver Nuggets for a 7 PM ET tipoff, and came ahead right from the get-go. A 36-18 first quarter would be all the spark OKC would need in this contest.

By the end of the first half, the Thunder were up, 67-42, and Russell Westbrook had a double-double of 14 points and 12 assists. New Thunder center Enes Kanter, who came in a trade with Utah and Detroit, also was having a field day, with 14 points and seven rebounds at the half. 

Kanter, Westbrook, and the rest of the starting rotation sat for most of the second half. Even without star Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City succeeded greatly against the Nuggets' front line to gain a much-needed victory in the Western Conference. Kanter finished with 20 and 12, Westbrook with 21 and 17, and the Thunder with a 119-94 victory.

Not only Enes and Russell powered the Thunder to victory at home Sunday night, but Serge Ibaka, the athletic Thunder big man, finished with 20 points. His biggest impact, however, was in the paint, where he recorded eight rebounds and an amazing eight blocked shots. Ibaka was the league's leading rim protector a few years ago, and he showed why against Denver.

New acquisitions D.J. Augustin, Kyle Singler, and Steve Novak all played on Sunday, with Augustin playing the most minutes. He would finish with eight points, Singler had seven, and Novak with no points and only one assist. 

Off the bench for OKC, Dion Waiters led the team with 17 points. Mitch McGary had 10 points and seven boards, and Anthony Morrow had nine points and seven boards. These rebound numbers added up for a 60-42 rebounding edge in OKC's favor. 

For Denver, there were not many bright spots. Ty Lawson had 17 points, Kenneth Faried had 16, and Jusuf Nurkic had 10 points and seven rebounds. The Nuggets had a mere 19 assists compared to the Thunder's 31 in this game, another large advantage for OKC. 

Really, the major differentiating aspect of this game was each team's shooting proficiency. The Thunder shot 52 percent from the field, while Denver shot only 36 percent on their field goal attempts.

This is a great sign for the Thunder, who are now the eighth seed in the West. Meanwhile, the Nuggets just are not having a good season. 

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About the author
Zach Drapkin
Philadelphia-based journalist with expertise in basketball, football, and soccer/fútbol.