The Oklahoma City Thunder erased an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to edge the Denver Nuggets 92-87 on Sunday and knot their second-round series at two games apiece.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine of his 25 points in the final period as the top-seeded Thunder flipped the script against the Nuggets, outplaying them down the stretch in a physical and low-scoring battle.
The Thunder trailed 73-66 after a turnaround jumper from Aaron Gordon, but Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins keyed an 11-0 run that gave Oklahoma City a 77-73 lead it never relinquished.
Wallace’s second 3-pointer of the quarter put OKC ahead for good, and the Thunder held Denver to just 18 points in the final frame while forcing several critical turnovers.
Denver’s final possession woes included a five-second violation and multiple missed looks from deep, finishing just 11-of-45 from beyond the arc.
Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 13 rebounds and three assists, but his six turnovers contributed to a night of inefficiency for the Nuggets, who shot just 31.3% overall and managed only eight points in the first quarter.
Oklahoma City’s bench outscored Denver’s reserves 35-8, with Wallace and Wiggins combining for 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting and a +26 combined plus-minus.
Chet Holmgren pulled down 13 rebounds for the Thunder while Isaiah Hartenstein added 14 boards and three assists in another gritty performance from the starting frontcourt.
The teams combined for just 25 points in the opening quarter — the lowest-scoring first period of any game this postseason — with OKC leading 42-36 at halftime.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting, adding six rebounds and six assists while converting 9-of-12 free throws.
Aaron Gordon had 15 points and 16 rebounds in the loss, while Jamal Murray and Christian Braun chipped in 17 points apiece for Denver.
Game 5 is set for Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder will look to seize control of the Western Conference semifinal series.
