OKLAHOMA CITY — After Lu Dort connected on three pivotal three-pointers, trimming the Denver Nuggets’ nine-point lead to two amidst a 9-2 run, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 16-foot step-back found the bottom of the net. Jamal Murray fouled him in the process of a three-point play that gave the Thunder their first lead (103-100) of the second half. Then, Gilgeous-Alexander drained a dagger that cemented his team’s 3-2 series lead.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s only three of the night gave the Thunder a six-point lead with 47.1 seconds left in Game 5. It followed up a pair of threes exchanged between Jalen Williams and Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic — the finishing touches of a 112-105 victory. Gilgeous-Alexander revealed his mindset moments before making the clutch three.

“It felt like it’s about time,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I always say, especially in jump-shooting, it goes up and down. It fluctuates so much. You can’t get caught up in the emotion of it. It’s just about the discipline and staying true to it. I could have turned it down, but it’s something I’m confident in, and because of my confidence, it paid dividends tonight.”

It was the biggest shot of SGA’s career, leading the Thunder one step closer to reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in nine years. All five Thunder starters scored in double figures. Alex Caruso’s 13 points led the bench.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points on 12-of-23 shooting, seven assists, six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in Tuesday’s win. The Thunder survived Jokic’s strongest outing in the series. The Nuggets’ reigning MVP led his team with 44 points on 17-of-25 shooting, including 5-of-7 from deep, 15 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Jamal Murray added 28 points, four rebounds, and three assists as the two combined for 72 points on 27-of-52 attempts.

Lu Dort on his confidence after Thunder’s Game 5 win

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Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander credited Lu Dort for Tuesday’s win. He says the Thunder couldn’t have won without Dort’s trio of threes.

Despite his poor shooting in his previous two outings, Dort says his confidence never wavered.

“I put a lot of work in. I work on those types of shots,” Dort said. “I’ve been in those situations before. I’ve been to war. So, I just have to keep believing in myself. My teammates have my back all the time. I had a great year shooting threes this year. So, I got to keep believing and keep trusting it, and I’ll keep doing it.”

The Thunder will hit the road for Game 6 on Thursday.