OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – APRIL 20: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts after a … More
At this point, it’s effectively a three-game mini-series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets to determine who will advance to the Western Conference Finals, with the series tied at 2-2. Luckily for the Thunder, two of these three games will take place in OKC, including Game 5 on Tuesday night.
While three games are left in this series, and the winner will ultimately need to earn two victories, Game 5 is extremely pivotal. In fact, the winner of Tuesday’s contest will be the clear favorite to advance.
Since relocating to Oklahoma City, the Thunder has played in eight series that have been tied at 2-2 entering a Game 5 scenario. The winner of Game 5 in every single one of those series went on to advance to the next round. While that isn’t all that surprising, given that it sets up the winning team to simply win one of the final two games, it does quantify how important winning Game 5 is for the Thunder in this series.
Especially being the higher seed, the Thunder would have two total chances to close out the series from there, with Game 6 being on the road in Denver and Game 7 at home in Oklahoma City. The Thunder is already in an advantageous situation with momentum from a Game 4 victory and two of the next three games being at home in this three-game mini-series.
When it comes to the recipe for success the rest of this series, it’s all about maturing quickly and learning from mistakes. Both of Oklahoma City’s losses to this point were games that the Thunder should have won but couldn’t execute down the stretch. The Nuggets’ experience shined bright, making the right plays in the clutch, while OKC looked lost at times. Not only has the Thunder struggled to score late in some games, but uncharacteristic defensive lapses have also been present.
Play Puzzles & Games on Forbes
In the Game 4 win, Oklahoma City showed growth and won in the clutch, proving to be the more talented team with the ability to battle adversity and make plays in big moments. That will have to continue moving forward, as Denver will like its chances in any game that is close at the end. The Thunder will either need to pull away with a significant lead like in Game 2 or prove again that being the youngest team in the playoffs isn’t an insurmountable hurdle.
Interestingly enough, the two MVP candidates — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic — haven’t played anywhere near their standards for the vast majority of this series. It’s been the complimentary stars and role players who have been the difference. Bench production has been an area where the Thunder has gained an advantage, especially in Game 4. Now, it’s about getting both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren going at the same time, as both have had their moments in this series, but not simultaneously.
Game 5 is set to begin on Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. CST in Paycom Center. It’s a pivotal contest that will likely determine the winner of the series if history continues to repeat itself.
