Tuesday 302 US basketball Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Match time: 2025-05-14 09:30

Oklahoma City Thunder often makes the game look breeze in the regular season.

They set one of the highest records in league history and set the NBA's biggest net score record with an average of 12.9 points per game.

But the Thunder's second round series with the Denver Nuggets has never been easy, especially considering the overall experience of Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic and Denver.

The Thunder tied with the Eastern Conference team at 2 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Series in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, and the Thunder are facing the difficult challenges of the series.

"We are better now than when the series started," said Oklahoma City head coach Mark Dignot. "We are constantly learning and growing through these experiences. The series has only started for a week, but these games have not only taught us rich lessons, but also rich experience. Every time you take a hit and stand up again, you will build more confidence, build stronger psychological resilience, and develop stronger courage."

In the past three games, Jokic has made 21 of 63 shots (33.3% shooting), 4 of 22 three-pointers (18.2% shooting), and averaging 5 assists per game. During the regular season, he only hit less than 40% at one time, but he has never reached that threshold since the first game of the series.

Two of his four worst shooting performances in Denver's last two games in 91 playoff games in his career.

"There are all aspects," Jokic said of the reasons for his trouble. "They defended very well. They were really constantly rushing my body, fighting with their hands, body... They compressed my offensive space. Of course, I need to do better, but it's part of the game."

But even if Jokic was in a stumbling position, the Nuggets dragged the series into three games.

"We need to give ourselves a chance," Jokic said. “We need to be more physically confrontation and more proactive.”

Oklahoma City’s Shea Gilgers Alexander, like Jokic, is a candidate for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award, averaging 27.5 points per game, shooting 47.5% from the field and earning more than nine free throws per game.

He scored at least 33 points in the first two games of the Oklahoma City Series.

"This series has brought us too many surprises, too many unexpected and extraordinary things," Gilgers Alexander said. "I think we did a good job, accepted the status quo, and did not deviate from our entire season."

The series also highlights the depth of Oklahoma City.

The Thunder have 10 players participating in every game of the series, with an average playing time of 10 minutes or more per game.

Denver has primarily used a seven-man rotation in this series, with the only backup player with more than nine minutes playing time in Sunday’s defeat of 87-92.

"We have to let more people play at a better level," said interim head coach David Adelman of the Nuggets. "And I may have to arrange more than eight people on the field."