Lu Dort 'Changed the Whole Game' in OKC Thunder Game 5 Win

With 8:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort knocked down his second triple of the game.

It brought the Paycom Center to its feet and the score to six points. Moments later, after two made free throws from Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Dort rained down another.

The same thing happened over a minute after that, bringing their deficit to only two points. That final triple that Dort made might have changed the trajectory of not only the game but the entire series. Oklahoma City went on to win 112-105 to steal Game 5 away and take a 3-2 series lead.

According to one of Dort's teammates, forward Chet Holmgren, Dort completely changed the game for OKC. The energy he brought and the shots he made down the stretch, along with his defensive intensity throughout the battle, was a key reason for OKC taking the series lead.

"He's being asked to do something very difficult," Holmgren said after the game. "He changed the energy, changed the whole game."

Dort finished the game with 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting, all of which were three-point attempts. Nine of those points came in the final eight minutes of the game, while the first was knocked down four minutes into the third quarter.

The former Arizona State guard has struggled so far in the playoffs to get his shots to fall, averaging 8.1 points per game on 28.6% perimeter shooting. He's also 31.9% from the field during the playoffs, all of which are far below is regular season averages.

Despite his shaky shooting so far, Dort had his most clutch performance of the playoffs. The Thunder appeared to be dead in the water in the fourth quarter, with Murray and star big man Nikola Jokic scoring the ball in unstoppable fashion. With basically zero momentum behind them, Dort lit a fire under the Thunder with his made triples.

Finding consistency will be important for Dort, assuming the Thunder advance into the next round of the playoffs. He was an important part of the offense all season long because of his three-point shooting, so his lapse in that area is certainly making a difference in OKC's offensive performance.

Game 6 will be a good test to see if Dort has gained his confidence back. It will be a hostile environment on the road against a team looking to keep their finals hopes alive. If Dort can splash a few triples home for Oklahoma City and maintain his usual defensive prowess, OKC might be in a good spot to move on to the Western Conference finals.

The series isn't done yet, despite the Thunder taking the lead. They'll have a chance to seal the deal in Denver for Game 6 at 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday.