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DENVER — Rejecting Isaiah Hartenstein's screen, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sliced through multiple Denver defenders to go through the open lane to the basket as Nikola Jokic was left confused. Looking for a heroic jumper, the MVP candidate went back to old reliable in the final minutes.
The Oklahoma City Thunder survived long enough to get a 92-87 Game 4 win over the Denver Nuggets. It was an ugly contest that saw both teams resemble early 2000s basketball as buckets were difficult to come by. The Round 2 series is now tied at 2-2.
The beginnings of this game were bad. Historically bad. Whether from nervousness or fatigue, the Thunder and Nuggets exchanged clanks to start. OKC built a 17-8 lead after the first quarter as Gilgeous-Alexander matched Denver's point total by himself.
Yep, you read that right. 17-8. Never seen that happen before in the opening quarter of an NBA game. I doubt anybody else has either. As Denver shot 2-of-22 to start, it felt like the Thunder were letting another golden opportunity to build a cushion slip through their fingers.
Both teams got back into a flow in the second quarter. The Nuggets outscored the Thunder 28-25 in the frame, closer to the modern NBA. As Denver took 20 free-throw attempts to make up for its buckets, OKC left plenty of meat on the bone. It only had a 42-36 halftime lead that should've been more.
Like in Games 1 and 3, the Thunder finally saw their hand get burned after playing with fire. The Nuggets got back into a groove as they scored 33 points in the third frame. A 16-3 run flipped the scoreboard as OKC couldn't hold onto its lead.
Fittingly enough, Aaron Gordon was left wide open to nail an outside shot to give Denver its first lead. He had enough time to take a dribble before he made the bucket to give the Nuggets a 53-52 advantage. We had a brand-new ball game with most of the second half left.
The Nuggets held a 69-63 lead after the third quarter. The Thunder looked shell-shocked. Everybody on NBA Twitter was ready to write them off as it looked like they were on the verge of one of the biggest collapses in NBA history.
But the Thunder kept their composure. As every starter besides Gilgeous-Alexander struggled, the bench unit led the comeback and calmed everybody down. Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins accompanied Jalen Williams to start the fourth quarter.
It was an important stretch. They needed a fast start or risk being buried on the scoreboard with limited time. They answered the call. It took less than four minutes for OKC to retake the lead as it went on a 12-4 run. Wallace knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a 75-73 contest.
From then on, the Nuggets and Thunder went back to exchanging misses, like at the beginning of the game. That was until Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander scored on two straight possessions to give OKC an 88-81 lead with 2:22 left.
Missed free-throw attempts hurt the Nuggets down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Thunder redeemed their late misses from Game 1 and kept a healthy distance on the scoreboard for the rest of the game with their made attempts. It wasn't the sexiest way to do it, but you never apologize for playoff wins. OKC did enough to win its most important game of the season and make it a 2-2 series.
The Thunder shot 36% from the field and went 10-of-41 (24.4%) from 3. They shot 20-of-26 on free throws. They had 20 assists on 31 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back with 25 points. Williams had 10 points on 2-of-13 shooting. Caruso scored 10 points while Wallace and Wiggins each scored 11 points to contribute off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets shot 31% from the field and went 11-of-45 (24.4%) from 3. They shot 26-of-36 on free throws. They had 17 assists on 25 baskets. Four Nuggets players scored double-digit points.
Jokic struggled again with just 27 points on 7-of-22 shooting, 13 rebounds and three assists. Jamal Murray and Christian Braun each had 17 points. Gordon tallied 15 points and 16 rebounds.
Be wary all you want about the Thunder's offense, but they did enough to secure a must-win game. These types of gritty wins are what the NBA playoffs are about. The scoring goes down and the physicality goes up. OKC did its job in its three-day Denver stay by splitting these two games and regaining homecourt advantage.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A
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Sports are all about redemption. Gilgeous-Alexander knows that firsthand in these two games. After being criticized for his subpar final Game 3 moments, he did enough to fight through the nerves and hostile Denver crowd to secure a much-needed win.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting, six assists and six rebounds. He shot 0-of-5 from 3 and went 9-of-12 on free throws. He also had two steals.
With everybody else struggling, Gilgeous-Alexander was OKC's sole source of scores. The jumper didn't fall, but driving to the basket helped him earn points the blue-collar way. It was a busy night for him at the free-throw line as Denver couldn't contain the MVP candidate.
In a close contest, Gilgeous-Alexander put on his Superman cape again with nine fourth-quarter points. Except this time, he saved the cats from falling down a tree. Looking for a hero moment, he learned from his mistakes of relying on his shaky jumper. Instead, he drove to the basket and got clean looks near the rim that rattled in.
The main storyline for this Round 2 matchup was the battle of the MVP finalists. Neither has been a consistent monster. But with a pivotal Game 4 on the line, Gilgeous-Alexander made plays late while Jokic has struggled since his Game 1 dominance.
Alex Caruso: A
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One-third of the Thunder's bench trio that carried them to the finish line, Caruso had another playoff moment. Through eight games, the 31-year-old has been well worth the investment as somebody you load manage in the regular season for these two months.
Caruso finished with 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. He shot 2-of-5 from 3 and went 2-of-3 on free throws.
Everybody should know by now how important Caruso is to the Thunder's playoff run. He was part of OKC's closing lineup and played nearly the entire fourth quarter as he usurped a struggling Lu Dort, who shot 2-of-10 from 3.
Whether chasing Murray through screens or battling with Jokic in the post despite a serious size disadvantage, Caruso was part of the bench lineup that ignited this unlikely win for the Thunder to swing the series back in their favor.
smooth with it Cason Wallace: A
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Moving from the corner to the right-wing spot, Caruso's extra pass to Wallace resulted in a catch-and-shoot look that gave the Thunder a lead it didn't surrender in the final eight minutes. After struggling from the outside all playoffs, you just know that bucket felt good.
Wallace finished with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, five rebounds and two assists. He shot 3-of-3 from 3. He also had two steals.
All praises should go to Wallace. Like when Reggie Jackson bailed the Thunder out in the NBA playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies a decade ago, OKC received similar luck from its bench triumvirate. He calmed OKC's outside shooting struggles with makes.
Given the Russell Westbrook assignment, he drained the Nuggets' energy bunny. The 36-year-old was ineffective in Game 4 and made it easy to forget he was even on the floor. This is exactly the type of production the Thunder needed from their depth pieces.
Aaron Wiggins: A
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Last but not least, Wiggins partially saved Thunder basketball. It always comes back to him. After playing spotty rotation minutes throughout the playoffs, the 26-year-old provided instant offense as a microwave scorer when buckets came at a premium.
Wiggins finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and six rebounds. He shot 3-of-6 from 3. He scored all his points in the second half as the Thunder weathered Denver's momentum.
The Thunder are fully committed to the defensive side, but when their offense was in a rut, Daigneault made the right adjustments and went to his bullpen to get his best reserve self-scorer. He only played 16 minutes due to defensive problems, but the buckets were very much needed.
Jalen Williams: D
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This was a weird one. Usually, when four of your five starters no-show, that'd result in an easy playoff loss. But the Thunder flexed their depth at their most desperate moment. Daigneault played it by the ear with his rotation decisions.
A juxtaposition from his Game 3 takeover, Williams had a forgettable Game 4 that gets swept under the rug. He finished with 10 points on 2-of-13 shooting, five assists and three rebounds. He shot 0-of-5 from 3 and went 6-of-6 on free throws.
The Thunder dodged a bullet with Williams' bad performance. They need their All-Star to play better in Game 4. But hey, like Jokic's last game, the winner enjoys the luxury of their top players avoiding serious slander because their squad still picked up a win.
Chet Holmgren: C
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Besides catching a few alley-oops, Holmgren couldn't provide on offense. The 23-year-old remains playable because of his interior defense, but the lack of shot creation has been badly exposed in this playoff series against the Nuggets.
Holmgren finished with eight points on 4-of-10 shooting and 13 rebounds. He shot 0-of-3 from 3.
The Thunder's double-big lineup has had mixed results in this playoff series. The defense has been shut out, but the offense has been absent. Both have their own ebbs and flows. Daigneault must perfectly balance how to handle his center room against Jokic.
Isaiah Hartenstein: C
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Facing off against Jokic, the Thunder have gotten their money's worth with their biggest free-agent addition in franchise history. The best way to guard the three-time MVP winner has been to match his size with another old-school center.
Hartenstein finished with eight points on 3-of-7 shooting, 14 rebounds and three assists. He had a block and a steal.
The Thunder won the rebound battle again. They grabbed 55 to Denver's 49. That helped OKC win the shot attempt battle by seven more. Those two stats are a barometer at this point of the playoffs as to who could eventually win the series.
Highlights:
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder even series with 92-87 Game 4 win over Nuggets
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