In an epic battle at the Paycom Center tonight, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets played the latest game of their competitive second-round series. Coming off a clutch win on Sunday, the Thunder wanted to seize the opportunity to take control of the series with Game 5 back on their home floor.
Just like some of the previous games in this series, the match tonight was close until the very end, with both teams exchanging runs from start to finish. After taking a narrow two-point lead at halftime, the Nuggets used their momentum to build a strong third quarter, which put them up by eight going into the fourth. In the final frame, however, a 31-17 run gave OKC the victory (112-105) and the 3-2 series lead.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the leading scorer for the Thunder with 31 points, six rebounds, and seven assists on 522% shooting. Jalen Williams put up 18 points, nine rebounds, and four assists on 35.7% shooting. Veteran big man Isaiah Hartenstein put up 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists on 70.0% shooting.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic had an MVP stat line in the loss with 44 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists on 68.0% shooting. Jamal Murray put up 28 points, four rebounds, and three assists while Aaron Gordon finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists on 46.2% shooting.
With so much at stake, it's no surprise that both teams are playing with a sense of urgency as the series progresses, and things will surely heat up with one team on the brink of elimination. After tonight's loss, the Nuggets will have two days to find an answer for OKC, but if the Thunder can replicate Tuesday's performance in Game 6, it may be enough to win the series for good.
SGA Shines In The Clutch
In another tight battle against the Nuggets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander thrived with 31 points, six rebounds, and seven assists on 52.2% shooting in 39 minutes. He's been on fire throughout the series, leading the Thunder offensively in each of the games so far with an average of 28.2 points in the first five games.
In tonight's victory, he was particularly effective in the clutch, contributing five points during an 8-0 run in the final minute of the game. In the fourth quarter alone, SGA dropped 10 points, three assists, and one steal to help the Thunder complete their miraculous comeback.
Between his shooting from three and at the free-throw line, Shai had the Thunder offense humming, and he always came through for them when they needed a bucket. In true superstar fashion, Gilgeous-Alexander is rising to the occasion -- and while he hasn't been perfect, his play so far has been more than enough for the Thunder to keep their season alive.
Stifling Thunder Defense
For a young team with limited playoff experience, fans were impressed with how much grit the Thunder showed tonight, especially defensively. With their season on the line, every Thunder player showed up to play, and they brought a level of toughness and poise that suggests they may be championship-ready.
Despite 44 points from Nikola Jokic, the Thunder held their opponents to 105 points on 41.2% shooting and 28.3% shooting from three. Their best stretch was in the fourth quarter, when they limited the Nuggets to just 19 points.
With length, size, and impressive athleticism, the Thunder have everything they need to be an elite defensive team, and they are finally starting to live up to their potential. Tonight, while they let Nikola Jokic go off, they held his supporting and it limited what the Nuggets were able to do offensively.
Franchise Record Threes
Part of the game plan for the Thunder was forcing the Nuggets out of their comfort zone and onto the perimeter, and that's exactly what they did. Tonight, the Nuggets attempted a franchise record 46 three-pointers but only made 13, to shoot just 28.3%.
This game was rough for the Nuggets, but their shooting struggles have been around since the start of the series. In Game 4 on Sunday, the Nuggets shot 31.3% from the field, including a stretch where they went 0-14 from three in a single quarter.
As a team, the Nuggets are too dependent on the three right now, and they just don't have the personnel to outshoot a team like the Thunder, who can go 10 deep on any given night. For a different outcome in Game 6, the Nuggets need to find a different strategy and create a game plan that does not involve shooting nearly 50 three-pointers.
With a 3-2 lead, the Thunder will have a chance to close the series against Denver on the road this Thursday, but it won't be easy to eliminate the 3x MVP on his home court. Only with a total group effort and perfect execution on both ends of the floor can the Thunder hope to avoid a Game 7 and advance to the Western Finals this week.
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