Los Denver Nuggets surpassed this Friday by 113-104 and after an extension to the Oklahoma City Thunder y They were placed with 2-1 in this west semifinal after a very fought game and exciting in which Nikola Jokic or Shai-Gilgeous Alexander were not inspired.
The fourth game between the Thunder (first of the West with the best balance of the League) and the Nuggets (rooms) will also be played this Sunday in Denver.
This series was marked by the capital Face to face between Shai, favorite to the MVP this year, and Jokic, winner of the award in three of the last four seasons.
But Neither the Canadian nor the Serbian shone tonight, which finally decided on the Contribution of cast actors.
Usually an absolutely efficient and lethal genius, Jokic lived a nightmare with 20 points (8 of 25 in shots with 0 of 10 in triples), 16 rebounds and 6 assists with 8 ball losses.
Neither Shai was able to boost Oklahoma with 18 points (7 of 22 with 1 of 6 in triples), 13 rebounds and 7 assists.
However, Jokic had three of his fellow champions in 2023 to a fantastic level: Jamal Murray (27 points and 8 assists), Aaron Gordon (22 points and 8 rebounds and a new fundamental triple in the final stretch) and Michael Porter Jr. (21 points and 8 rebounds with 5 of 6 in three shots).
Los Nuggets They won the first game for 2 points, lost the second for a scandalous margin of 43 And tonight they beat 9 and in the extension to place themselves with 2-1 in the tie.
In visitors, who suffered from the perimeter with a frightful 9 of 35 in triples, Jalen Williams assumed responsibility with 32 points and Chet Holmgren went from more to less until they ended 18 points and 16 rebounds.
The experience is imposed
The whole first part was a constant shot and daca, such as a boxing fight without gloves or ring but with blows in each play.
Oklahoma sent the break (51-56) But Shai was far from his best version (5 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists with 2 of 8 in shots). In front, Jokic did not respond (8 points and 9 rebounds with 2 of 9).
But both teams saw the secondary ones asking for step. For example, Holmgren began wonderful for the Thunder With 11 points in the first quarter and landed in the intermediate with 16 points and 7 rebounds.
Nuggets also had surprises like The excellent contribution of a Porter Jr. nothing fine so far in the series and also physically reduced but achieved 15 points with a 3 of 3 in triples in the first half.
The dynamics in the resumption did not change. On the contrary, the Nuggets came to put ahead but the margins for one or another team were still very tight.
Shai woke up with 10 points in the third quarter while Jokic, no matter how much he tried, failed to warm up (80-83 at the beginning of the last period).
Williams was very close to being the hero of the evening for Oklahoma with 16 points in a fabulous last quarter, but the match came very equally at the last minutes (97-97 with 2.30 for playing)
Williams was precisely with triple and free throws that placed a +3 for Thunder with just over a minute ahead, but Gordon, the same one that signed the miraculous triple winner of the first match, hit again from the perimeter in the final stretch to tie the match (102-102 with 28 seconds to play).
Neither Shai nor Jokic on the horn avoided extra time in which the experience and poise of the Nuggets passed over the youth of the Thunder, very misguided in the extension and that let a golden opportunity escape on a very bad day of Jokic.
