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Victor Petkov
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Gilgeous-Alexander scores 31 vs Nuggets, closes Thunder to one win away from clinching the series
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Jokic's amazing 44 points and 15 rebounds were not enough again as Oklahoma takes 3-2 lead

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 31 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 112-105 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, giving them a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series. The Thunder now sit just one win away from the Western Conference Finals and can close out the series on Thursday in Denver.

Despite a monstrous performance from Nikola Jokic—who racked up 44 points and 15 rebounds—Denver couldn’t hold off a late Thunder surge. Oklahoma City showcased a balanced offensive effort, with six players scoring in double figures and Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge by hitting 12 of his 23 field goal attempts.

The Thunder stormed out of the gate with a 12-2 run, threatening to repeat their dominant Game 2 showing. Denver struggled early, converting just one of its first nine shots—a putback by Jokic.

However, the Nuggets responded with a strong second quarter, taking an 11-point lead before Oklahoma City clawed back to trail by only two, 56-54, at halftime. Jokic was already putting together a vintage performance by the break with 19 points and nine rebounds.

Jamal Murray came alive in the third, dropping 13 points, while Jokic added 12 more to help the Nuggets build an 86-78 lead heading into the final quarter. But despite their lead, Denver missed key chances to pull away.

Enter Lu Dort. After scoring just three points in the first three quarters, Dort exploded in the fourth, knocking down three clutch 3-pointers within a two-minute span to cut Denver’s lead to 92-90.

Jokic briefly steadied the Nuggets with a tough fadeaway three to tie the game at 103, but Oklahoma City finished stronger. Jalen Williams buried a critical three-pointer with 1:18 left to give the Thunder a 106-103 edge. Moments later, Gilgeous-Alexander sealed the win with a dagger triple with 48 seconds remaining, stretching the lead to six and effectively putting the game out of reach.

The Thunder now carry momentum—and a chance to close out the defending champions—into a pivotal Game 6 in Denver.