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Aaron Gordon hyped up the crowd. Peyton Watson dapped up Nikola Jokic. Jamal Murray hugged Michael Porter Jr.
And all Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder could do was walk off the floor in disappointment as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
The buzzer then sounded, cementing Denver's 113-104 overtime win Friday night at Ball Arena. The Nuggets showcased their championship experience in the extra five minutes, outscoring the Thunder 11-2, and they now hold a 2-1 lead in the second-round playoff series.
Here are four more takeaways from the game:
More: OKC Thunder stumbles late vs Aaron Gordon, Nuggets in Game 3 OT loss in NBA Playoffs
Porter hit the brakes, causing his sneakers to screech as he slid across the Ball Arena floor.
The Denver forward was caught off guard when he closed out on Lu Dort in the corner with 9:40 left in the first quarter.
Porter Jr. was expecting Dort to let it fly from deep. Instead, he watched as Dort dribbled past him and dished it off to Isaiah Hartenstein for a close-range bucket.
Denver was hoping to avoid moments like that when it began the game with a zone defense. But rather than protecting the rim better, the Nuggets were unable to prevent the Thunder from driving at will.
OKC racked up 14 points in the paint during the first quarter alone, and it continued to penetrate Denver's zone whenever it was rolled out. The Thunder finished with 56 points in the paint compared to the Nuggets' 32.
More: NBA playoff bracket: 2025 schedule, times, scores, TV for second-round series
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is never afraid to take the big shots.
The superstar guard is as cold-blooded in those moments as a winter day in home country of Canada. But as the shot clock winded down with just under two minutes left in regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander opted not to let it fly.
He instead delivered a bounce pass to Jalen Williams, who confidently knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to give OKC a 100-99 lead.
On a night when Gilgeous-Alexander struggled, recording 18 points and 13 rebounds on 7-for-22 shooting from the field (31.8%), Williams stepped up. The fellow All-Star finished with a playoff-career-high 32 points to go along with five assists.
But it wasn't enough to beat the Nuggets, who defended their home floor.
More: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be the next MVP, but can he be the face of the NBA his way?
Jokic had Chet Holmgren beat.
A pump fake was all it took to get Holmgren in the air with 6:50 left in the game, and that gave Jokic a drive along the baseline.
But the path closed just as quickly as it opened up. Before Jokic could attempt a shot, he was swarmed by Gilgeous-Alexander, who swooped in for the steal.
That marked one of eight turnovers for Jokic, who finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds on 8-for-25 shooting from the field (32%). It was yet another game where the three-time MVP struggled against an OKC team that has overwhelmed him with help defenders.
Jokic has committed an average of seven turnovers per game this series, shattering his regular-season average of just 3.3.
Fortunately for Jokic, his supporting cast helped Denver come out on top. Murray scored a team-high 27 points, and Porter added 21 points and eight rebounds.
More: OKC Thunder faces NBA playoff dilemma: How to best defend Nuggets star Nikola Jokic
Gordon did it again.
After sinking a game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 1, the Denver forward caught a pass in the corner Friday as his team trailed 102-99 with 28 seconds left in regulation.
Holmgren tried to close out, just like he did on that final play in Game 1. And once again, Gordon drilled the 3-pointer over the 7-footer's outstretched hands.
That sent the game to overtime, where Denver closed it out. Gordon finished with 22 points on 4-for-6 shooting from deep (66.7%), and he wasn't the only one who did damage in that department.
Denver went 16 for 40 from distance (40%). OKC only went 9 for 35 (25.7%).
More: When will 2024-25 NBA awards be announced? Schedule set for most winners
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @JTheSportsDude. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder fails to take reins of West semifinals vs Denver Nuggets
Continue reading...
And all Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder could do was walk off the floor in disappointment as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
The buzzer then sounded, cementing Denver's 113-104 overtime win Friday night at Ball Arena. The Nuggets showcased their championship experience in the extra five minutes, outscoring the Thunder 11-2, and they now hold a 2-1 lead in the second-round playoff series.
Here are four more takeaways from the game:
More: OKC Thunder stumbles late vs Aaron Gordon, Nuggets in Game 3 OT loss in NBA Playoffs
Thunder attacked rim at will, beating Nuggets' zone defense
Porter hit the brakes, causing his sneakers to screech as he slid across the Ball Arena floor.
The Denver forward was caught off guard when he closed out on Lu Dort in the corner with 9:40 left in the first quarter.
Porter Jr. was expecting Dort to let it fly from deep. Instead, he watched as Dort dribbled past him and dished it off to Isaiah Hartenstein for a close-range bucket.
Denver was hoping to avoid moments like that when it began the game with a zone defense. But rather than protecting the rim better, the Nuggets were unable to prevent the Thunder from driving at will.
OKC racked up 14 points in the paint during the first quarter alone, and it continued to penetrate Denver's zone whenever it was rolled out. The Thunder finished with 56 points in the paint compared to the Nuggets' 32.
More: NBA playoff bracket: 2025 schedule, times, scores, TV for second-round series
Jalen Williams stepped up amid Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's struggles
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is never afraid to take the big shots.
The superstar guard is as cold-blooded in those moments as a winter day in home country of Canada. But as the shot clock winded down with just under two minutes left in regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander opted not to let it fly.
He instead delivered a bounce pass to Jalen Williams, who confidently knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to give OKC a 100-99 lead.
On a night when Gilgeous-Alexander struggled, recording 18 points and 13 rebounds on 7-for-22 shooting from the field (31.8%), Williams stepped up. The fellow All-Star finished with a playoff-career-high 32 points to go along with five assists.
But it wasn't enough to beat the Nuggets, who defended their home floor.
More: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be the next MVP, but can he be the face of the NBA his way?
Thunder's help defense continued to cause problems for Nikola Jokic
Jokic had Chet Holmgren beat.
A pump fake was all it took to get Holmgren in the air with 6:50 left in the game, and that gave Jokic a drive along the baseline.
But the path closed just as quickly as it opened up. Before Jokic could attempt a shot, he was swarmed by Gilgeous-Alexander, who swooped in for the steal.
That marked one of eight turnovers for Jokic, who finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds on 8-for-25 shooting from the field (32%). It was yet another game where the three-time MVP struggled against an OKC team that has overwhelmed him with help defenders.
Jokic has committed an average of seven turnovers per game this series, shattering his regular-season average of just 3.3.
Fortunately for Jokic, his supporting cast helped Denver come out on top. Murray scored a team-high 27 points, and Porter added 21 points and eight rebounds.
More: OKC Thunder faces NBA playoff dilemma: How to best defend Nuggets star Nikola Jokic
Aaron Gordon, Denver beat OKC from behind the arc once again
Gordon did it again.
After sinking a game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 1, the Denver forward caught a pass in the corner Friday as his team trailed 102-99 with 28 seconds left in regulation.
Holmgren tried to close out, just like he did on that final play in Game 1. And once again, Gordon drilled the 3-pointer over the 7-footer's outstretched hands.
That sent the game to overtime, where Denver closed it out. Gordon finished with 22 points on 4-for-6 shooting from deep (66.7%), and he wasn't the only one who did damage in that department.
Denver went 16 for 40 from distance (40%). OKC only went 9 for 35 (25.7%).
More: When will 2024-25 NBA awards be announced? Schedule set for most winners
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @JTheSportsDude. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder fails to take reins of West semifinals vs Denver Nuggets
Continue reading...
