Thunder survive onslaught from Murray and Jokic, take 3-2 lead over Nuggets

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 factors, and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 112-105 on Tuesday evening to go up 3-2 of their Western Convention semifinal collection.

Oklahoma Metropolis overcame a 44-point, 15-rebound evening from Denver’s Nikola Jokic. The Thunder can clinch the collection on Thursday in Denver.

Gilgeous-Alexander made 12 of 23 area targets and had seven assists. He led six Thunder gamers in double figures.

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Jokic made 17 of 25 photographs. Denver’s Jamal Murray scored 28 factors, however he made simply 10 of 27 photographs. No different Denver participant scored greater than 13 factors.

Oklahoma Metropolis ran out to a 12-2 lead, and it appeared prefer it may end up just like the Thunder’s blowout victory in Sport 2. Denver made one in every of its first 9 photographs, and that was a putback by Jokic.

Denver rallied and led by 11 within the second quarter, however Oklahoma Metropolis closed robust and trailed 56-54 at halftime. Jokic had 19 factors and 9 rebounds earlier than the break.

Denver took management early within the third quarter. Murray scored 13 factors within the interval and Jokic added 12 to assist the Nuggets take an 86-78 lead into the fourth.

Oklahoma Metropolis’s Lu Dort, who scored three factors within the first three quarters, hit three 3-pointers in a two-minute span to chop Denver’s result in 92-90 halfway via the fourth.

Jokic hit a deep fadeaway 3-pointer to tie the sport at 103 earlier than Oklahoma Metropolis closed it out. Jalen Williams’ 3-pointer with 1:18 remaining gave the Thunder a 106-103 lead, and Gilgeous-Alexander’s three with 48 seconds to go pushed Oklahoma Metropolis’s result in six.

Reporting by The Related Press.

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