Oklahoma City - After Nikola Jokic left him from the periphery, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was very happy to fulfill his obligations. The pull-up three-pointer spins and uses it as a dagger. The MVP finalist can finally rest assured because he saw one from the Deep Tigh Toper.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed enough effort in another thriller against the Denver Nuggets. Game 5 of 112-105 gave them a 3-2 lead in the 2nd round of playoff series.
We are watching the thunder grow in front of us. After heartbroken in Games 1 and 3, the Thunder learned two consecutive nails from the shortcomings of clutch time. From the jump, this looks like another match in the last match.
The Thunder started the swing start with a 12-2 lead. But the Nuggets quickly shocked it. They finished the first quarter with a 28-27 lead. The score is repeated in the second frame. Considering how sync they seem, OKC was lucky enough to beat 56-54 at halftime.
The attack buzzed with thunder. But the problem is on the other side - this is also the first time in this series. Nuggets are sliced through OKC's paint defense. Jokic snatched the ball from three games, looking like he was a three-time MVP.
With the Nuggets scoring 30 points in the third quarter, it seems Thunder is on the verge of loss. Denver dominated the board and created many second chance appearances. This is the difference on the scoreboard, because OKC exits the third frame in holes 86-78.
Everything looks scary. They approached a catastrophic Game 5 loss, making the series good for Denver. But like Game 4, OKC performed very well and could overcome the double-digit deficit. However, unlike Game 4, the substitute cannot release them this time.
Instead, Lu Dort - everyone is ready to light a torch and sharpen their pitchforks to fight. It's a bad playoff series for long-term OKC starters. The Nuggets have admitted his appearance and have not fallen behind the clips seen in the regular season.
It's time for Thunder fans to be ready to see Daigneault Rut Dort. Instead, he trusted his defensive staple and encouraged him to continue to make public appearances. BET paid off. Back-to-back three-pointers made it a 92-87 deficit with less than eight minutes left.
The Thunder have enough time to turn it into another high-rate situation. Dort made another three-pointer, making it a 92-90 game. Williams ranked him at 92 points on the free throw line. With five minutes left, both teams saw some leads before OKC quits.
Jokic's circus turnover of 3 points can't even be celebrated. The Thunder found an open Williams for three-pointers, giving OKC a 106-103 lead with 1:19 left. Gilgeous-Alexander then hit the dagger for 3 points in the next game.
The Thunder again showed up with a 34-19 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter. Oh, how to turn the table. The senior team that won the championship a few years ago looked like an inexperienced young team in the final moments.
The Thunder shot 50% from the field and scored 12 of 29 out of 3 (41.4%). Their free throws were 18 from 23. They had 23 assists on 41 baskets. Six Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander completed with an effective 31 points. Williams scored 18 points and 9 rebounds. Chet Holmgren scored 14 points and 8 rebounds. Dortmund won 12 important points. Isaiah Hartenstein scored 15 points and 7 rebounds. Alex Caruso scored 13 points and 4 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets shot 41% from the field, with 13 points (28.3%) from 46 shooting from 3. They shot 12 from free throws. They had 20 assists on 40 baskets. Three Nuggets scored double-digit points.
Jokic is a monster who scored 44 points on 25 shooting percentage and 15 rebounds. Jamal Murray burst out with 28 points in 27 strokes. Aaron Gordon looked with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
Talk about NBA playoff wins. The Thunder quickly learned how to win these close games. In the biggest match of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander stepped up the match against Jokic. In another clutch victory, the depth of the thunder exceeds that of Denver, which will bring most OKC heart problems.
The Thunder now has an important 3-2 series lead. Two consecutive wins in this classic round-trip series put them ahead and lead with memorable results. Now, the first seed will have two chances to win the second round and reach the Western Conference Finals.
Let's take a look at the results of the Thunder players:
Gilgeous-Alexander is looking for a superstar moment for the entire series and finally has one. The pull-down three-pointer Jokic dared to shoot, a dagger of an impossible victory that looked like a frustrating loss in the first three quarters. The Thunder's final result on the SGA era's biggest game to the right.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, seven assists and six rebounds on 12 from 23 shots. He shot 1 from 3 and 6 from 6 free throws. He also has two steals and two blocks.
It was ugly at first. Gilgeous-Alexander only scored 11 points during the break. The Thunder only dropped two points, but it felt like 20 points. This is another game, in the biggest stage, a very efficient 30-point scorer cannot achieve.
But thankfully, the NBA game is in two halves. After the break, the MVP finalists are rejuvenated. Gilgeous-Alexander is a man who performs a mission. He went back to get the bread and butter with a fatal mid-range jump shot. The Nuggets have no hope of slowing down his hopes.
After Jokic ruled the first half, Gilgeous-Alexander understood that he needed to do the same thing to keep the thunder. He scored 20 points in the second half. The pullover and drive finally fell at the last moment. His only three-pointer sealed the result.
This is exactly the thunder that Gilgeous-Alexander needs. He cut through Denver’s defense and learned from his area attack. That was as comfortable as he was in all playoff series. Sprinkle some clutch barrels, which is an iconic show.
To show how to get raw emotions in the playoffs, do yourself a favor and check your "For You" tag on Twitter. You will see a lot of accounts Bemoan Dort returns in the fourth quarter. They couldn't believe that Daigneault was back to him. You've already substituted him in Game 4 in Game 4. Do the same in Game 5 as his external shots stagnated OKC's halftime offense.
Now, recheck your feed. You will see these same accounts apologize for their moment reactions. Dort became the main character in the Thunder 5-game thriller. The 26-year-old paid off their gambling with a popular outside shooting zone.
Dort scored 12 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist on 4 of 8 shots. All his attempts were from outside. Not the craziest box score, but about the timeliness of his bucket.
Dort dared to make back-to-back three-pointers from outside. He bailed a Thunder offensive, which moved to the early 2000s. Nine points make it a two-pointer game with more than six minutes left. Oklahoma crowds went from then to hope balls to get backwards for heat checks.
This is the purpose of the NBA playoffs. redemption. Dort's Game 5 is a textbook example. After not being able to compete for most of the second round, despite some shaky moments, the hot fourth quarter also earned his trust in him.
Williams received the ball from Dort on an extra pass, thanking his teammates for their confidence in the 3-pointer. The look of catching up to the shooting gave the Thunder a 106-103 lead, and they would not surrender in the last 78 seconds. This is another large bucket at the age of 24.
Williams scored 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists on 5 of 14 shots. He shot 2 from 3 and 6 from 8 free throws. He stole it, too.
It's about Williams's beginning and ending. He started a hot start with a 9-point run in the first quarter to keep the Thunder drifting. In the closing ceremony, he scored seven points as the Nuggets couldn't stop hitting him into the rim.
This is not his third masterpiece, but Williams did enough to help the Thunder. He won his points in a blue-collar manner and drove with the basket, which led to free throws. In the last two minutes, he made a high pressure attempt outside, making the OKC crowd in Mayhem.
Two times against Murray, Homegren met his runner at the top with his hands. The two shooting ranges were part of an impressive string of parking lots in the fourth quarter, which helped the Thunder make a comeback. Denver never looked comfortable during clutch times, as the seven-foot-long presence was always in its mind.
Holmgren scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shots, 8 rebounds and 1 assist. He shot 1 from 3 and 3 from free throws. He has two blocks and a steal.
Holmgren's leaves are a wrinkle that works well against the Thunder in the playoff series. Denver is close to Dunker at 23 and allows several alley rides in the first five games. This is the failsafe that OKC uses when the offense goes dry.
Thunder will require Homgren to compete more often. If he could finish the race near the rims and control the board, it would go a long way to win the series.