OKC Thunder Should Look to Avoid Game 7 Showdown with Nuggets

The fresh Oklahoma City Thunder recently saw their best and biggest win of the season. Despite 68 regular seasons wins that came in various forms and fashions, Tuesday’s Game 5 victory over the Denver Nuggets easily tops the list.

The game felt like Denver’s for most of the 48 minutes, with Oklahoma City using a late surge from MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his wingman Lu Dort in the fourth quarter.

Dort would hit three consecutive triples — notable, given his cold-streak this off-season — and Gilgeous-Alexander would make plenty of tough baskets down the stretch, including the step-back 3-pointer that’s evaded him this postseason as the dagger.

With the win, Oklahoma City took a relieving 3-2 lead over the Nuggets in the series. Now, the team’s head to Denver for Game 6, where the home squad will look to fend off elimination, and where OKC will look to close out a tough-fought series.

For Oklahoma City, Game 6 could very well be the most pivotal of the series. Mostly, to avoid a Game 7.

Game 7’s live in basketball lore for a reason. They’re wily, grimy, unpredictable, oftentimes against the will of home court advantage. The potential game will be played in OKC, and even with the roar of Paycom Center's crowd, it may not mean much.

Despite the Thunder's rapid growth this offseason — turning late-game blunders into winning surges in the past two games — Game 7’s don't allow for training wheels. Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has seen his fair share, and could very well just be more prepared to face that exactly.

Oklahoma City has already snagged one win in Denver, and doing so in Game 6 could very well be the difference in winning and losing its Round 2 series.

The Thunder and Nuggets will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 15 on ESPN.