Nuggets Coach David Adelman Credits OKC Thunder for 'Mentally Tough' Game 4 Win

After Oklahoma City dropped Game 3 in Denver, the Nuggets held a 2-1 series lead against the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.

With Game 4 tiping off around 36 hours after Game 3 was finished, the Thunder had a tall task on the road. OKC needed to pull off a crucial win to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series, and had to do so in front of an energetic Denver crowd.

Making things even more difficult, Oklahoma City and Denver were still recovering from a hard-fought overtime battle in Game 3 after traveling from the Modern Frontier, where the first two games of the series were played.

This tight schedule may have contributed to some of the game's offensive woes, as the Thunder and Nuggets combined for just 25 points in the first quarter, the lowest total for a quarter in playoff history.

While the schedule may have added to both team's struggles to score, Nuggets' interim head coach David Adelman was adamant that the quick turnaround was not why his team lost on Sunday.

"It's a challenge," Adelman admitted. "But like I said, same challenge for them. I'm sure they hung out at their hotel, stayed off their feet as best they could, knowing the early start was going to be a challenge. Give them credit, man. That was a mentally tough win. We were all dealing with the same situation, they came out on top."

Coming out on top was important to OKC for multiple reasons.

First, avoiding a 3-1 deficit heading back to the Paycom Center was vital, as the stadium atmosphere should be lively as the Thunder return to their home court with the series tied at 2-2. Now, the Thunder just need to win two of the next three games to come away with a series victory.

Games 5 and 7 will be back in OKC, giving the Thunder home-court advantage in what has become a best two of three series. Of course, a team with Denver's experience and pedigree will still be tough to finish off, but Mark Daigneault and company have put themselves in a decent position down the stretch.

Second, and maybe more importantly, OKC proved that it can win a game in crunch time against a veteran team. After winning more than 50 games in the regular season by double digits, a young Thunder roster didn't have much expereince making big plays in the clutch.

This proved to be an issue in Games 1 and 3, as the Nuggets outplayed Oklahoma City in the fourth quarter to secure wins in both contests despite trailing for most of the game. In Game 4, though, it was the Thunder who had to come from behind, showcasing the young group's ability to compete with some of the most experienced teams in the NBA.