Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Game 6 Defeat Against Nuggets

With an opportunity to advance to its first conference finals in nine years, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost Game 6 to the resilient Denver Nuggets, 119-107, on Thursday night. Oklahoma City led by as many as 12 points, with two minutes left in the first half, but allowed an immediate 12-0 run and shot 19-for-50 after halftime.

A handful of Nuggets played well with their backs against the wall. After being listed as questionable to play with an illness, Jamal Murray recorded 25 points on 9-for-19 shooting, eight rebounds, seven assists, a block and a game-high +28 plus-minus in 42 minutes. MVP finalist Nikola Jokic racked up 29 points on 14 shots, 14 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block. Christian Braun registered 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting, 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block.

Reserve guard Julian Strawther stepped up most, tallying 15 points — all in the second half — on 4-for-8 shooting, including three triples. He converted eight points at the end of the third quarter, helping Denver turn a tied game into a double-digit lead. The home team did not trail after Strawther got on the board.

Let's dive into three takeaways from the Thunder's 12-point loss.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shines, Jalen Williams struggles

Oklahoma City superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a clutch-time masterclass in Game 5 and carried that momentum into Game 6. He scored 32 points on 11-for-16 shooting, knocking down seven jump shots — including two tough, banked-in runners. He also penetrated Denver's defense well, getting to the rim for a few layups and finding four teammates for close finishes. Gilgeous-Alexander's contributions on offense were necessary to keep the game competitive.

On the other hand, All-Star Jalen Williams finished with his fourth inefficient shooting night of the series. He made his first two attempts of the night, a wide-open jumper off an Isaiah Hartenstein screen and coast-to-coast transition layup past Jokic, but missed 13 of his final 14 shots.

The third-year forward's struggles came to a head in the fourth quarter. Peyton Watson swatted his reverse layup attempt in transition off the glass, and he blew an open dunk minutes later. He missed a decent 3-point look to cut Oklahoma City's deficit to two possessions within a last-ditch comeback attempt.

"I think I got to spots I wanted to get to, and then (the shots) didn't go in. It's just how basketball works," Jalen Williams said. "I think I had a good process of what I was doing. I just hurt us tonight, not making shots."

Thunder commit too many fouls

With a minute and a half remaining in the second quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul by swiping at Jokic following a lost-ball turnover. The Nuggets smelled blood, scoring on four of five possessions entering halftime. Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams each fouled three times in the first half, as Denver shot 15 free throws.

No Oklahoma City players fouled out, but the second half provided an even larger disparity than the first. Alex Caruso recorded five fouls after halftime as the Nuggets got to the line 17 times, including six intentional attempts in the final minute and change. The Thunder must not be as overzealous in its final matchup.

Jalen Williams called opposing free throws "controllable." Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said the first-half fouls impacted substitution patterns, "which isn't out of the ordinary."

"I was a little bit conscious of it, obviously at the end of the first (half) to get (out) Shai with four (fouls)," Daigneault said. "But otherwise, we had the same opportunity Denver did in the second half, and they outplayed us."

One game left for all the marbles

The Thunder did not play its best basketball on Thursday night. Still, it returns home and can move forward from what has been an evenly matched series.

"Both teams are exchanging blows, and they got theirs in tonight," Daigneault said. "And both teams have done a great job of standing back up, including us, and we need to do that on Sunday."

The Nuggets are not strangers to the moment. They advanced past the LA Clippers with a home Game 7 blowout two weeks ago. Jokic and Murray have played six winner-take-all games together, winning four. Oklahoma City has a difficult challenge looming, to say the least.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort lost a last-second Game 7 against the Houston Rockets in the 2020 NBA bubble. Hartenstein and the New York Knicks came up short to the Indiana Pacers last season. Those two games consist of the Thunder's entire Game 7 experience.

Jalen Williams said his team is "excited for the moment." Gilgeous-Alexander thinks the battle will be fun.

"It's going to be the highest intensity basketball that you ever play," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "But at the same time, it's still just basketball. You have to go out there, have fun, play free and let the chips fall where they may."

Game 7 between the Thunder and Nuggets tips off this Sunday, May 18 at 2:30 p.m. CST.