Nuggets allow another fourth-quarter lead to slip despite Nikola Jokic's epic night, fall behind 3-2 to Thunder

Bennett Durando, The Denver Post on May 14, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

OKLAHOMA CITY — Deep in tornado alley, Lu Dort brought the Thunder to Denver’s season.

The Nuggets haven’t quite been struck by lightning yet, but they are on the brink of elimination after a 112-105 Game 5 loss Tuesday in Oklahoma City, where Dort’s 3-point barrage ignited a comeback by the top-seeded hosts. Denver led by as many as 12 in the second half.

Game 6 is Thursday (6:30 p.m. MT) at Ball Arena. The Nuggets must win twice in a row to vanquish a juggernaut of an opponent that won 68 games this season.

Jalen Williams buried a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:19 to go, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doubled the Thunder’s lead with a dagger on the next possession.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined for 26 of the Nuggets’ 31 points in the third quarter, briefly taking over a game that shouldn’t have been theirs to win. Then, interim coach David Adelman kept them on the court with a single-digit lead to start the fourth quarter, and Denver went seven minutes without a field goal as Paycom Center reached suffocating levels of volume to match the defense.

Gilgeous-Alexander buried a midrange jumper while getting fouled by Murray with 2:02 left, the 3-point play giving Oklahoma City a 103-100 lead. Jokic answered with the Sombor Shuffle of all Sombor Shuffles, a fading triple over Chet Holmgren to tie with 1:39 left.

Not even his magic was enough to overcome the top seed in the West. Jokic finished with 44 efficient points and 15 rebounds in his best game of the series. Murray was clunky with his decisions and shot at times, but he found his way to 26 points.

The rest of the Nuggets combined to make just 13 of 45 shots.

Oklahoma City was steady across the board, led by Gilgeous-Alexander’s 29 points, six rebounds and seven assists but supplemented by more role player dependability. The Nuggets were held to 19 points in the final frame.

Jokic’s last three games were as troubling as any slump in his career. He averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 turnovers and 5.0 assists. He shot 33% from the floor, 18% from the perimeter and even missed a pair of crucial free throws late in Denver’s Game 4 loss. Discombobulated by Oklahoma City’s compact defense, encumbered by his right elbow, preoccupied with his perceived lack of a whistle, he was a superstar letting his team down.

But the Nuggets entered this swing game in Oklahoma City with a 6-0 record under these circumstances in the Jokic era — tied 2-2 in a Game 5. They might not always win the series. But they are masters of going up 3-2. More specifically, Jokic is. His Game 5 against Minnesota in the second round last year might go down in history as his forgotten magnum opus because of what happened next.

He showed up to this one in usual Game 5 mode — comfortable working at his own pace against OKC’s pests, confident in his touch despite the recent wonkiness. His first half was littered with increasingly ridiculous highlights: a lefty hook over Isaiah Hartenstein, a potpourri of 3s with hands in his face, a sarcastic stare-down after his defender tried taking a charge, followed by a pass to himself off the backboard to simplify the finish.

The Thunder wouldn’t fade. The opportunities to do so were plenty. Oklahoma City finished the first half on a 9-0 run immediately after encountering a double-digit deficit for the first time in the series. Right as Jokic and Murray were seemingly going for the jugular in the third, OKC answered with a miniature 10-4 push to cut Denver’s lead in half.

And a slumping Dort, whose uncalibrated shot prevented him from closing Game 4, suddenly knocked down a trio of 3s to save the Thunder’s season in the fourth quarter. The last of them closed it to 92-90 and forced a timeout from Adelman, who has been comfortable living with the whims of Oklahoma City’s role players throughout this series.