Thunder Outlast Nuggets in Game 5 as Starters Shine and Benches Tell the Story

Intensity Peaks in OKC-Denver Game 5 Showdown

High stakes collided in Game 5 of the second-round NBA playoff clash between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. With the series locked at 2-2, every decision loomed large—especially when it came to those first five names on the court and the quality of backup waiting on the sidelines.

The Thunder rolled out a youthful but dangerous lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Jalen Williams. Each brought different strengths—Gilgeous-Alexander controls the tempo, Williams isn’t afraid to take the game-winning shot, and Dort is always hustling on defense. Importantly, the Thunder had a full squad to choose from, giving coach Mark Daigneault the luxury of flexibility.

On the other bench, Denver countered with Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, and MVP Nikola Jokic as starters. It’s not your typical Nuggets group—injuries to Hunter Tyson (ankle) and rookie DaRon Holmes II (Achilles) trimmed Denver’s usual depth, forcing Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. into expanded reserve minutes rather than their familiar starting roles. For the defending champs, the gamble was to see if staggering minutes could shore up their weakened rotation.

Late Drama and Unexpected Heroes

Momentum swung wildly all night. Jamal Murray and Jokic played like stars, putting up a combined 72 points, but that top-heavy approach stretched Denver’s stamina. In the fourth quarter, you could almost see the legs getting heavier on defense—driving lanes for Williams widened, switches became late, and rebounds bounced Oklahoma City’s way.

That’s where OKC’s bench really mattered. Chet Holmgren, newly minted as a sixth man, stepped up with impressive efficiency, while Alex Caruso and Lu Dort delivered those bruising, pesky defensive stops that always seem to kill another team’s run. The Nuggets leaned hard on Jokic and Murray, yet whenever they left the floor, Denver’s offense sputtered and their defense started leaking points.

• Williams calmly drained pressure-packed buckets in the last minutes, showing why the Thunder trust him late.
• Caruso and Dort combined for clutch stops on Jokic, forcing tough shots when Denver needed quick answers.
• Holmgren found the right spaces, keeping OKC’s offense humming even when the starters rested.

Denver’s bench just couldn’t match that punch. Gordon and Porter Jr. did their best, but the timing wasn’t there. Despite Murray’s non-stop drives and Jokic’s flashy passes, OKC’s well-rounded defense and deeper energy pool shut the door when it counted most—a theme that’s quickly defining the series.

As the buzzer sounded, it was Oklahoma City’s balance and smart adjustments that carried the night. Game 5 didn’t just shift the scoreboard—it set a tone for whose rotations and risk-taking might decide how this hard-fought battle finally ends.