Aaron Gordon delivers 22 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists as the Nuggets pull away from the Thunder in OT.
DENVER — As this game progressed through a tight first half, a competitive third, tense fourth and up-for-grabs overtime period, one very important question demanded an answer:
Which team would bail out its Kia MVP candidate?
Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are two finalists for the award, the winner of which could be revealed next week, but both struggled in Game 3 of their West semifinal that flipped Friday.
And in an even more unlikely scenario, it was the Denver Nuggets — who routinely crumble whenever Jokić is either on the bench or misfiring — who outplayed the deeper Oklahoma City Thunder when it counted.
Therefore, the best-of-seven has a leader, and it’s the Nuggets, up 2-1 with Game 4 (Sun., 3:30 ET on ABC) also at Ball Arena, after a 113-104 decision. They overwhelmed the Thunder in the extra period, scoring 11 of the 13 total points all because of a role reversal — it was Jokić’s teammates picking him up instead of vice-versa.
“It was so close, we just had to hang in there,” said the Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. “Once we got it overtime, we knew we had the momentum.”
Here are five takeaways from the Nuggets’ win and the top-seeded Thunder, who won 68 games this season and swept through the first round, suddenly facing adversity for the first time in 2025:
1. Jokić lost his rhythm, never found it
He can make a case for being the league’s best player of the last half-decade, or more. And he’s a three-time Kia MVP. That’s why it seems so — weird? — when Jokić looks shook as he did, not only Friday, but Game 2 as well.
Maybe it’s just a phase, a temporary blip. Whatever it is, the Nuggets can’t expect to assume a bigger lead in this series or even win another game unless Jokić snaps this spell.
They were fortunate Friday. Gilgeous-Alexander was just as chilly and the Nuggets made all the big plays down the stretch. Can they count on that again if Jokić is merely ordinary?
He missed all 10 of his 3s and obviously lost confidence because he began passing up chances. After his final miss at the fourth-quarter buzzer, he went to the bench and screamed in frustration.
But, there’s more — he also had eight turnovers (including a blatant double-dribble) and missed a few bunny shots. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t Jokić.
“20, 16 and six,” said Nuggets interim coach David Adelman, citing Joker’s stats, and then deadpanned, “just an awful NBA night.”
Make that an awful Jokić night, by his insane standards that we’ve come to expect. There’s a difference. After scoring 42 epic points in Game 1, he combined for 37 the next two.
His coach has the solution.
“Just keep shooting the ball,” said Adelman.
2. Murray is money
Jamal Murray was the best Canadian baller on the floor, which was rich considering he shared it with a fellow national team member who just might win MVP.
Murray, along with Christian Braun, was one of the primary defenders on Gilgeous-Alexander, and what made his role more impressive was the grind. Murray burned 48 minutes and yet had enough energy to compensate for Jokić’s issues offensively, and also to strip Jalen Williams in OT for a breakaway layup that put Denver up seven.
Murray finished with 27 points, eight assists, four steals and just a pair of turnovers while logging all those minutes. But he had company …
3. Aaron Gordon deserves another “A” to his name
The biggest made shot of the night belonged to, who else, the same player with a game-winning dunk and a 3-pointer this postseason. Aaron Gordon is the answer.
And yes, with OKC up three points and 28 seconds left in regulation, the ball belonged to him, not Jokić, not even Murray, who has a history of big postseason shots. Gordon sank the corner 3 to force OT and join Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson as the clutch-iest players this spring.
Actually, Gordon managed to make play after play throughout Friday, not just the final minute. Whenever the Nuggets struggled, he came through, either with a basket or a rebound in traffic or a defensive stop. His line: 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists.
“In these playoffs, AG has been amazing,” said Porter. “We don’t win three games without him making those shots.”
Murray said: “He’s just always ready. You dream about it and when the time comes to do it, you’re prepared for it.”
Play of the Day: Aaron Gordon drains a late 3-pointer to eventually send the game to overtime.
4. Shai shrank down the stretch
It was something rarely seen and may not be witnessed again for a while. The Thunder’s heart-and-soul who thrives on efficiency simply fell apart in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Shai missed seven of his eight shots in the fourth. He couldn’t even attempt one in OT. This, from the league’s leading scorer, who simply couldn’t be stopped one-on-one throughout 2024-25.
In that chilly fourth quarter, rather than keep feeding Williams — by far the most impactful player for OKC all night, who scored 16 points in the quarter — Shai kept shooting. And most of those shots, including the last one for OKC, were contested, with Braun applying solid defense. It was perhaps instinctive for Shai, or maybe his ego told him the next shot would fall. Well, it didn’t.
Shai had problems creating space with his forearm, which is his signature move. The Nuggets are also being creative and hesitant when to throw the double-team, and that strategy worked Friday.
And the Nuggets were also smarter: Shai took only five free throws because Braun mainly didn’t fall for the fakes and lean-ins Shai uses to draw contact.
“Nothing’s written,” Shai said. “The series is not over. I have an opportunity the next game and the game after that to make up for it. I’m optimistic and we have a lot to be optimistic about.”
Adelman also suspects something’s coming:
“He’ll be great in Game 4.”
5. Jalen Williams made Denver worry
He had the Nuggets on their heels all night, worried about his pull-up jumper, his dribble game, his ability to attack and reach the rim.
This wasn’t Shai, though. Williams was the problem, constantly attacking and forcing the Nuggets to re-think their strategy of doubling Shai.
He finished with 32 points, his playoff career high, and single-handedly kept OKC in the fourth-quarter fight. Before then, it was Chet Holmgren who was the aggressor. He finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks and, along with Isaiah Hartenstein, made the Joker struggle.
But Holmgren finished much like the Thunder — he had just two points in the fourth quarter and OT. And now OKC is suddenly pressed for a victory to prevent this series, and maybe the season, from taking a seriously hard turn.
If the Nuggets win Sunday and go up 3-1 … what then?
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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