The reviews were reversed for the Denver Nuggets’ starters and reserves in the second half of Wednesday’s game in Oklahoma City.

After the starters received praise and the bench unit’s production was criticized through three preseason games, roles reversed in the second half a 108-99 loss to the Thunder, dropping Denver to 0-4 on the preseason.

The Nuggets’ starters — Monte Morris, Will Barton III, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic — opened a 14-6 lead inside the first four minutes after Jokic hit a 3-pointer, but Denver trailed 29-23 after the first quarter. Oklahoma City increased the lead to 10 early in the second when Jokic returned to the game. The starters returned for the final minutes of first half and cut the halftime deficit to seven.

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“I thought our starters were pretty good to start the game,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said, echoing his thoughts from the previous three games. “I thought in that first half, our second unit struggled a little bit, and they went on a huge run to close the first and start the second.”

Things changed early in the second half, as the Thunder stretched the lead from seven to 15 before Malone subbed out all five starters during the same stoppage.

“We weren’t scoring. We weren’t executing. We weren’t generating good shots. We were getting any stops. We weren’t communicating,” Malone said. “That’s the first time that unit has played that way.”

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A lineup of Facundo Campazzo, Bones Hyland, Austin Rivers, PJ Dozier and Jeff Green then received praise for making in an eight-point game when the starters returned in the fourth quarter.

“I thought that unit … actually played hard and played the right way and got us back in the game,” Malone said. “Knowing I wasn’t going to play my starters a lot tomorrow night, I wanted to see how they would be when I put them back in. They were just as bad as they were to start the third quarter, unfortunately.”

Dozier, a starter for the first three preseason games as Barton recovered from a sprained ankle, was the first player off Denver’s bench, replacing Porter. Campazzo and Hyland were the second and third players off the bench before Jeff Green joined the second unit.

Jokic led the Nuggets with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Porter (15), Jeff Green (15), Hyland (12) and Barton (11) also scored in double figures. Barton said it felt good to get out there after missing the first three preseason games with an ankle sprain but wasn’t pleased with his team’s willingness to talk.

“Communication, that’s something that you don’t need a lot of reps together to have,” Barton said before adding it’s an easy problem to fix. “No matter who is out there, you should at least be able to talk. Missing shots and things of that nature, that’s natural, but us not talking to each other and helping one another is unacceptable.”

Darius Bazley led the Thunder with 16 points.

JaMychal Green did not play for Denver after suffering a minor ankle injury in practice in the days leading up to Wednesday’s game.

“Nothing serious,” Malone said pregame. “He could have played tonight. It’s just me being ultra-cautious.”

The Nuggets will close the preseason Thursday against the Thunder before opening the regular season Wednesday in Phoenix.

“The season is right around the corner. We have one game left. We would like to go into the season with a bit of rhythm. The intensity definitely needs to pick up,” Jeff Green said.

“I think we’re aware of that.”