Thunder Rally Late to Stun Nuggets, Lead Series 3-2

The Oklahoma City Thunder roared back in the fourth quarter to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-105 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Tuesday, moving within one win of their first West finals appearance since 2016.

Down 96-90 with under five minutes left, the Thunder went on a game-closing 22-9 run, fueled by relentless defense and a surge from Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 31 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

“This is what we live for,” Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame. “Moments like these, in front of our fans, when everything is on the line.”

Dort, who finished with 12 points, nailed three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Thunder outscored Denver 34-19 in the final frame.

Denver, meanwhile, went cold during a crucial stretch, going over seven minutes without a field goal and missing nine straight shots.

Jalen Williams tied the game at 92-92 with 5:42 left, then assisted on a Chet Holmgren layup to keep momentum swinging toward the Thunder.

Nikola Jokic, who had a game-high 44 points along with 15 rebounds and five assists, kept Denver in the fight with a fadeaway 3-pointer to level the game at 101-101 with 1:40 remaining.

But Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander responded with back-to-back 3s to push Oklahoma City ahead for good, and the Thunder sealed the win from the line.

“We just stayed connected,” said Williams, who had 18 points and nine rebounds. “When things got tough, we didn’t fold.”

The Thunder showcased their balance with six players in double figures, including Isaiah Hartenstein with 15 points.

Oklahoma City also closed the first half strong, erasing an 11-point deficit with a 9-0 run to cut it to 57-55 at halftime.

Over the last two games, the Thunder have outscored the Nuggets 63-37 in fourth quarters, signaling a major shift in momentum heading into Game 6 on Thursday in Denver.

Jamal Murray added 28 points for the Nuggets, but Denver’s supporting cast struggled, leaving Jokic to carry the load.

The defending champions now face elimination unless they win at Ball Arena, where they went 33-8 in the regular season.

 

PACERS KO CAVS

In the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers knocked out the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 114-105 road victory in Game 5, riding 31 points and eight assists from Tyrese Haliburton.

Haliburton’s 22-point explosion during a 55-24 run in the middle quarters flipped the game after Cleveland led by 19 early in the second.

“Every game, every run, we just stay in it,” Haliburton said. “We knew what was at stake.”

Pascal Siakam had 21 points and Myles Turner blocked four shots as Indiana reached back-to-back East finals for the first time since 2014.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 35 points while battling a sprained ankle, but the Cavs lost all three home games in the series.

The Pacers now await the winner of the Boston Celtics–New York Knicks series in the Eastern Conference finals.