The Oklahoma City Thunder regained home-court advantage with a brilliant late-game performance, securing a 92-87 win over the Denver Nuggets and tying the series at 2-2 in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals on May 12.
Denver Nuggets Top Performers:
Nikola Jokic 27 PTS | 13 REB | 4 STL | 57.1 FPS
Jokic hasn’t quite been himself offensively in this series, averaging just seven made field goals over his last three games while committing nearly six turnovers per game. Despite that, he has maintained strong numbers at the free-throw line, going 11-for-14 today, and showed slight improvement from three-point range after shooting 0-for-10 in Game 3. Jokic is averaging 26 points and nearly 15 rebounds in this series. While he has faced challenges with his individual matchup, he remains a consistent threat to rack up stats. He was also brilliant in Game 1 on the road and could potentially deliver another efficient performance again in Game 5.
Aaron Gordon 15 PTS | 16 REB | 6 AST | 42.2 FPS
Gordon has been a strong multi category threat in this series, recording two 20+ point games, two 14+ rebounds games and two more with 5+ assists. But his impact is most noticeable on offense, shooting at 45.8% from the floor, an outstanding 54.5% from three while also shooting 86.7% at the line. He’s also been extra special in the fourth quarter in this series, averaging 9 points with clutch baskets in two prior games and almost recording a double-double today. With the way he’s been playing, he should continue to be a difference-maker in this series.
Christian Braun 17 PTS | 4 REB | 3 STL | 35.8 FPS
Braun wasn’t effective scoring-wise, but his aggressiveness made the difference. He drew fouls and capitalized, going 7-for-8 from the line. He also continued to impress on defense with four stocks. They’ll need him to maintain this two-way play to have a better chance of stealing Game 5.
Jamal Murray 17 PTS | 4 REB | 5 AST | 28.3 FPS
Murray has been dependable on offense, averaging close to 20 points with 40/40/84 shooting splits over four games. While he doesn’t consistently post big scoring numbers, he remains highly productive with his all-around play. However, if he maintains his offensive momentum, a much stronger performance is well within reach for Game 5.
Michael Porter Jr. 3 PTS | 9 REB | 1 BLK | 15.8 FPS
MPJ had a difficult shooting performance, going 1-for-7 on the floor including 0-for-5 from three. Despite that he stayed relevant in rebounding, tallying at least 8 in the last two. It has been a challenging series for MPJ but his scoring will remain crucial for the team. It’s hard to see them pulling off another win if he’s not putting up at least 15 points in their next games.
Oklahoma City Thunder Top Performers:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 25 PTS | 6 REB | 6 AST | 44.2 FPS
SGA delivered in the fourth quarter with the game on the line, scoring 9 points to help his team pull away. He has consistently stepped up in the fourth quarter this season, averaging 6.5 points while shooting nearly 50%. While he struggled from three-point range—going 0-for-5 today and continuing to be off in that area throughout the series—he’s still averaging 27.5 points per game. He also continues to post elite numbers in secondary statistical categories. He’ll need to continue performing at this level for the team to close out the series strong.
Isaiah Hartenstein 8 PTS | 14 REB | 3 AST | 34.3 FPS
Hartenstein has been a consistent double-double force in this series and also added good value in playmaking and defensive stats in the last three games. With his versatility and defense, he’ll remain an indispensable player in this series and should continue providing good numbers going forward.
Jalen Williams 10 PTS | 5 AST | 3 STL | 32.1 FPS
JDub finished with 32 points, his best scoring performance in the playoffs in their Game 3 loss. But he did exactly the opposite today, finishing with his worst scoring performance. He couldn’t get going on offense, shooting 2-for-13 from the field and missing all five attempts from three. Despite that, he kept his output strong with contributions in other areas, particularly on defensive end with 4 stocks. His two-way play will keep him an important asset in this series but they’ll need him to be sharper on offense to clinch the series and move onto the next round.
Cason Wallace 11 PTS | 5 REB | 2 STL | 23.0 FPS
Wallace came through on offense, shooting 3-for-3 from three and finishing with his first double-digit scoring performance this playoffs and even outscoring the whole Nuggets bench. While he may not always deliver in scoring, he remains relevant with his well-rounded production.
Aaron Wiggins 11 PTS | 3 3PM | 6 REB | 17.2 FPS
Wiggins has provided a solid boost on offense while also adding some value in other categories in the last three games. However, his limited minutes make it difficult to fully buy into his recent performances.
Biggest Disappointment of the Game:
Russell Westbrook 6 PTS | 3 REB | 1 STL
Russ hasn’t been much of a factor in their two home games this series, after scoring at least 18 points in each of the two road games. He couldn’t find his rhythm on offense, shooting just 5-for-20 from the field and an even worse 3-for-13 from three-point range. Foul trouble has also been a factor, as he’s averaging 5 in this matchup. However, with Game 5 back on the road, there’s a strong chance for a bounce back performance.
