Subscribe
Follow Us
As Game 3 of the second-round NBA Playoffs series between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder unfolded through a closely contested first half, a gritty third quarter, a tense fourth, and a chaotic overtime, one question hovered: Which team would come through for its Kia MVP candidate?
Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—both finalists for the award set to be announced next week—struggled to find their rhythm in a Western Conference semifinal that swung wildly on Friday night. Ultimately, the Nuggets survived with an overtime win against the Thunder at Ball Arena but not without its share of controversy, challenges, and momentum shifts.
In a twist few saw coming, it was the Nuggets—often vulnerable when Nikola Jokic is either cold or off the floor—who outlasted the deeper Oklahoma City Thunder when it mattered most. Since the NBA-ABA merger, this marked just the sixth time a team has held its opponent to two or fewer points in the overtime period of a playoff game.
Defensively, only the Pacers (2003), Lakers (2004), Celtics (2012), Warriors (2015), Bucks (2021), and now the Nuggets (2025) have accomplished that rare feat.
Even with Jokic shooting just 8-of-25, the Nuggets opened overtime with a seven-point surge and secured a pivotal Game 3 win over the top-seeded Thunder on Friday night. Oklahoma City’s explosive offense was limited to just two points in the extra session, following a clutch corner three from Aaron Gordon with 26.7 seconds remaining in regulation.
Nuggets subdue Thunder in overtime
Denver’s shift to a zone defense proved to be a game-changing move. Facing the Thunder for the seventh time this season, the Nuggets used their familiarity to their advantage, disrupting Oklahoma City’s flow and dictating the pace down the stretch.
Article Continues Below
As Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault pointed out before Game 3, top-tier teams like his see every defensive wrinkle. Yet it was Denver’s adjustment that flipped the game in their favor.
For much of the first half Friday, it looked like the Thunder were slicing through Denver’s zone with ease. Oklahoma City exploited the gaps early—ballhandlers broke down the top of the 2-3 zone and fed shooters or found bigs in space near the rim.
Chet Holmgren cruised to 15 first-half points with little resistance, and Isaiah Hartenstein got all the soft-touch looks he wanted around the paint.
Denver survived 26 three-point bricks from the Thunder on Friday night as a group of typically dependable shooters went just 9-for-35 from long range, repeatedly misfiring on open looks. The Nuggets' zone successfully cut off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving lanes, forcing Oklahoma City into a perimeter-heavy attack.
Though the Thunder located gaps in the defense, they struggled to capitalize. Aside from a sharp performance by Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City’s offense unraveled late, especially in the fourth quarter and overtime, where Denver consistently collapsed on Gilgeous-Alexander during isolation sets and forced the ball out of his hands.
Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Nuggets and the Thunder tips off at 1:30 p.m. MDT (3:30 p.m. EDT) on Sunday at Ball Arena in Denver. The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
