The Denver Nuggets toppled the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime, 113-104, to steal Game 3 and take a commanding lead in the series. This thing is far from over, but Denver's advantages were laid bare on Friday in a way that ought to gravely concern OKC fans.
This was not a game the Nuggets should have won. OKC is the better team, point blank, with a level of depth and defensive continuity Denver can only aspire to. And yet, the Thunder dug their own grave with egregiously poor offensive execution down the stretch. The Nuggets looked the part of a more experienced, battle-tested group, keeping the game close throughout, only to put their foot down in the final frame.
Nikola Jokić was not especially great by his lofty standards — 20 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and eight turnovers on 8-of-25 shooting — but the Nuggets were still way sharper down the stretch. Aaron Gordon hit the game-tying 3 at the end of regulation, another last-second shot of import in this series, and Jamal Murray looked like the Jamal Murray of old.
So, even without Jokić playing great basketball, the Nuggets lead 2-1 and command home-court advantage. That is a scary thought for OKC fans, made all the more scary by Jokić's own appraisal of the situation.
"Our defense was really good and I think that's why we won the game," the three-time MVP told reporters. "I need to figure out what [the Thunder] is doing. Basically I was the worst player on the court today but we won the game and that's most important."
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Nikola Jokić knows he was bad in Game 3, and the Nuggets still won
It would be one thing if Denver took the series lead behind a dominant performance from the best player in basketball. For Jokić to struggle like he did and for OKC to still cough up a lead on the road — well, it's not great.
This was an equally, if not more unfortunate performance from OKC's own MVP candidate. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists on 7-of-22 shooting. He was ice cold, 1-for-6 from long range, but it did not deter him from attempting several contested pull-up 3s down the stretch.
OKC appeared rattled late. The Thunder basically threw its offense out the window, turning to iso possession after iso possession against a Nuggets defense that loaded up on every Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drive. I am on the record in dubbing SGA the MVP of this season, but this is why Jokić is the better player at the end of the day. Even when he wasn't scoring, he found ways to exploit OKC's swarming defense and set up teammates in important spots. Gilgeous-Alexander had his superpower neutralized and he kept running into a brick wall, time after time.
Jokić has better games ahead. So will Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC, but Jalen Williams was spectacular on Friday and his performance was entirely wasted. Watching SGA relegate JDub to ball-watching duty when the latter had the hot hand was immensely frustrating. The Thunder absolutely possess the firepower necessary to win this series, but the margin for error is zilch at this point. We know Denver will pounce on the slightest hint of weakness — and probably win most close games.