Holding the golden opportunity to take the full command of their entire second-round series, the Denver Nuggets failed to pull it off.
After winning Game 3 in a thrilling fashion, the Denver Nuggets lost at home in Game 4 of their Western Conference Semis against the Oklahoma City Thunder, enduring a tough 92-87 loss.
In a game that saw an ugly, low-scoring display for both teams, it was OKC who managed to escape to tie the series at two games apiece.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander heard the noise and criticism surrounding his subpar Game 3 performance. The presumptive 2024-25 MVP finished with a team-high 25 points with six boards and six assists to lead OKC en route to a must-win victory.
But beyond Gilgeous-Alexander, the reason behind the Nuggets’ collapse was the well-rounded attack of the Thunder’s supporting cast. Off the bench, Alex Caruso wowed fans with another reliable performance of 10 points, four boards, and two assists.
Meanwhile, Cason Wallace tallied 11 points and five rebounds along with three triples, earning huge applause from ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins.
Nikola Jokic took charge of spearheading the Nuggets during their losing effort in Game 4, recording 27 points, 13 boards, and three assists.
Numbers might not tell it, but the Denver superstar did not perform to his usual standards. Across 43 minutes, he just tallied 7-22 shooting (31.8%) and went 2-8 from the three-point line (31.8%).
After he demonstrated a monstrous series-opening masterpiece, Jokic has significantly struggled since versus Oklahoma City. Removing Game 1, he is averaging 21.3 points in 33.3 percent shooting (18.2 percent rate from threes) with 5.3 turnovers in this series.
Many fans are pointing at the NBA’s playoff scheduling and the OKC’s imposing frontcourt of Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams as several reasons for Jokic’s ongoing downslide.
In the eyes of Charles Barkley, the Serbian sensation is just simply running on fumes, and the Nuggets franchise should be blamed for it.
“Denver has never addressed their backup center situation or their bench,” the basketball legend said on Inside the NBA.
“I think that’s one of the things that hurt them last year. Because [Jokic] ran out of gas last year against Rudy [Gobert] and [Karl-Anthony Towns].
“I don’t think it’s fair to blame everything on the Joker, but he has not played well and I think he’s wearing down.”
Thankfully enough, the rest of the Nuggets’ core members are stepping up, which makes this seven-game series competitive against OKC. Aaron Gordon has continued his postseason heroics for Denver.
Amid concerning shoulder issues, Michael Porter Jr. remains engaged to help them win. And even if inconsistent at times, Jamal Murray is trying to show up as the team’s offensive star and closer.
But for the Nuggets to win the series and advance to the West Finals, Jokic needs to improve further. Their atrocious depth might be an issue, but Denver and the three-time MVP have no choice but to sustain the grind of the postseason with what they have right now.
The Denver leadership must do whatever it takes to give Jokic a reliable backup for the upcoming offseason. But for now, the Nuggets’ focus must remain intact on how they can beat OKC as this is now officially a three-game series.
