The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-105, taking a 3-2 series lead and pushing the reigning champions to the edge of elimination.
Despite a monstrous 44-point, 15-rebound effort from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets crumbled late, outscored 34-19 in the final quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for OKC with 31 points, backed by five other teammates in double digits.
“We just trusted in our principles,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the win. “All we care about is winning the game. We got one tonight and we got one more.”
Denver must now win Game 6 at home on Thursday to keep their playoff hopes alive. “This is a really disappointing loss,” said interim coach David Adelman. “We have to bounce back quickly.”