Nikola Jokic delivered a dominant 44-point, 15-rebound performance in Game 5, but Denver’s supporting cast faltered late as the Nuggets fell 112-105 to Oklahoma City. Despite the loss, Jokic and teammates remain confident heading into a must-win Game 6.
Nikola Jokic finally broke free from his playoff shooting slump — but not even a 44-point explosion could keep the Denver Nuggets from the brink of elimination.
Facing a relentless Oklahoma City Thunder defense that had frustrated him for most of the series, Jokic rediscovered his form in Game 5.
The three-time MVP was brilliant, scoring 44 points on 17/25 shooting, grabbing 15 rebounds, and adding 5 assists in a 112-105 home loss that gave the Thunder a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
“They were still doing what they’re doing,” Jokic said of OKC’s defense, which had limited him to just 33% shooting over the previous three games. “The ball was going in.”
That understatement masked a historic individual performance. Jokic made shots from all angles, including five of seven from beyond the arc.
His signature “Sombor Shuffle” — a fading 3-pointer off one leg over the outstretched arms of Chet Holmgren — tied the game with 1:39 remaining. But from there, Denver collapsed. Oklahoma City went on an 8-0 run while Jokic’s teammates missed three consecutive open 3-pointers.
In the final quarter, Jokic scored 13 points on 4/6 shooting. The rest of the Nuggets? Just 1/15 from the field, 0/10 from 3-point range, and six points total.
“It’s not like we turned the ball over,” Jokic said. “We had the open looks. We just didn’t score in those moments.”
That theme haunted Denver all night. While Jokic thrived, the rest of the team faltered. Jamal Murray scored 28 points but missed 17 of his 27 shots and committed several late turnovers. Aaron Gordon added 13 points, and no other Nuggets player reached double digits. Collectively, Jokic’s teammates shot just 32% (23/72).
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic
MIN: 37.27
PTS: 29.13 (61.91%)
REB: 12.78
As: 9.91
ST: 1.88
BL: 0.68
TO: 3.4
GM: 82
“We had a great performance from Nikola,” interim coach David Adelman said. “We just have to have a few other guys have a game, which we can do in Game 6. I have full confidence in our guys.”
Jokic, who logged 44 minutes including the entire second half, now has two games in this series with at least 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. According to ESPN, he’s the only player in NBA history to record multiple such performances in a single playoff series.
“He had better legs,” Adelman noted. “He made the touch shots around the rim that hadn’t been falling. Once he saw those go in, it unleashed everything else.”
Oklahoma City’s Isaiah Hartenstein, who had held Jokic in check earlier in the series, allowed Jokic to score 29 points on 11-of-12 shooting as the primary defender in Game 5. Even with that efficiency, the Nuggets couldn't hold on.
“It’s a playoff,” Jokic said. “It’s a series. Every game is different.”
Jamal Murray backed his co-star postgame, brushing off talk about Jokic’s earlier shooting struggles.
“He does everything he can to win every single night,” Murray said. “If you're looking for someone to blame, blame me. I didn’t shoot well enough, had sloppy turnovers. I should’ve taken more command.”
Now trailing 3-2, Denver must win Game 6 on Thursday to stay alive — something Jokic and his teammates still believe they can do.
“He can do it again,” said Christian Braun. “We know the player he is. And we’ve got guys who can hit shots. We just didn’t make enough down the stretch. But we will. And that guy can do it again.”
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