The Denver Nuggets suffered a 92-87 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the series is now tied as they head on the road for Game 5. It was a game where neither team played well on offense, and they had to rely on their defenses to carry them. In the end, the Thunder got more stops and made more timely buckets to get the win on the road, and now the Nuggets will need to answer.
Nikola Jokic has not had the best performance on offense in the last two games despite still putting up nice numbers, and Charles Barkley is raising concerns about the center.
“Denver has never addressed their backup center situation or their bench,” Barkley said on NBA on TNT. “I think that's one of the things that hurt them last year. Because [Jokic] gave out of gas last year against Rudy and KAT. I don't think it's fair to blame everything on the Joker, but he has not played well and I think he's wearing down.”
"He gave out of gas last year against Rudy [Gobert] and [Karl-Anthony Towns]. I don't think it's fair… He has not played well and I think he's wearing down."
Charles Barkley on Nikola Jokic 🗣️
(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/ub0MbuhrWU
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 12, 2025
The Nuggets' offense runs through Jokic, and if he's not at his best, it's going to take them a little more to get things going on that side of the ball.
Nikola Jokic responds to poor shooting performance
Article Continues BelowThough Jokic had a game-high 27 points, he shot 7-for-22 from the field. The Nuggets center hasn't been very efficient in these past two games, and he knows something is going to have to change for him to improve.
“I need to do a better job,” Jokic said after the game.
The Nuggets didn't start the game off well and had to climb from behind most of the first half. The second half was different, and the Nuggets had the lead at one point. In the fourth quarter, the Thunder came back to take the lead, and their execution down the stretch helped them to keep it and walk away with the win.
With the series tied and going back to Oklahoma City for Game 5, the Nuggets are going to have to play better offense if they want a chance at winning the game. Outside of Jokic, other players will have to step up, and they know what it's going to take in order for them to steal a game on the road once again.
This is looking like a series that could go seven games, and it wouldn't be a surprise if that was the case in the end.