The NBA's youngest team made all the clutch plays in crunch time against an experienced squad teeming with a championship pedigree, knotting the second-round series with a 92-87 win in Game 4.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, pulling the top-seeded Thunder from the brink of a 3-1 deficit against a Denver team known for closing out games while winning six of its last seven playoff series — and the two tight games earlier in this series that resumes Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.

About 36 hours after an exhausting overtime Game 3 Friday night, the early Mother’s Day tip-off produced an ugly first half that featured a combined 25 points in the first quarter and ended with OKC up 42-36 at the break.

“Quick turnaround with an early game today, we made an intentional effort to use our depth today and get everybody going,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.

Down by eight points early in the fourth quarter, the Thunder used an 11-0 run fueled by reserves Cason Wallace, who had a pair of 3-pointers, and Aaron Wiggins, who added another, to wrest control.

Wallace's second 3-pointer put Oklahoma City ahead for good at 75-73.

“I really thought the difference in the game was their bench kind of lit a fuse for them,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said. “They made 3s ... pretty incredible in a game where the two teams shoot 21 of 86 from 3."

Denver looked poised to put the top-seeded team in the West on the cusp of elimination when Aaron Gordon's turnaround jumper made it 73-66.

This time, however, it was the Thunder who came up big down the stretch and the Nuggets who fumbled away the chance to put OKC in a 3-1 hole. Denver's many late miscues included a key five-second inbounds violation.

Nikola Jokic had 27 points and 13 rebounds but his three assists were a low for this playoff run and gave him 22 assists to go with 23 turnovers in this second-round series.

Jokic said he never thinks about fatigue so he didn't blame anything or anyone else for Denver's 31% shooting clip and 34 missed 3s. And Adelman wouldn't go so far as to say the NBA erred with the early tip-off, either.

“I don't want to say that,” Adelman said. “I will say that both teams were very tired coming off an unbelievably physical overtime battle late Friday night. ... I mean, both of us had super tired legs, so it was about who's going to make that final run.”

Not his team, not this time.

“We fought. We stayed the course," Gilgeous-Alexander said, "... and then we closed the game.”

The Thunder simply don't have Denver's playoff pedigree but Daigneault said his team is gaining that much-needed experience by the day.

“Every time you take punches and you get back up, you get stronger,” he said. “That’s what we’re preaching to our team. We lost a tough one the other night in overtime. We stood back up today."

------

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Chet Holmgren vs. Nikola Jokic (Aaron Gordon gains possession)	0	0
11:42	Jamal Murray misses 26-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:39	Chet Holmgren defensive rebound	0	0
11:31	Jalen Williams misses 23-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:27	Aaron Gordon defensive rebound	0	0
11:23	Michael Porter Jr. misses running pullup jump shot	0	0
11:21	Thunder defensive team rebound	0	0
11:09	Chet Holmgren misses 27-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:06	Isaiah Hartenstein offensive rebound	0	0
11:01	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses 6-foot two point shot	0	0
10:58	Michael Porter Jr. defensive rebound	0	0
10:50	Aaron Gordon lost ball turnover (Jalen Williams steals)	0	0
10:36	Chet Holmgren makes 2-foot dunk (Isaiah Hartenstein assists)	0	2
10:12	Aaron Gordon misses 23-foot three point pullup jump shot	0	2
10:09	Aaron Gordon offensive rebound	0	2
10:04	Jamal Murray misses 13-foot two point shot	0	2
10:01	Chet Holmgren defensive rebound	0	2
9:49	Chet Holmgren misses driving floating jump shot	0	2
9:49	Nuggets defensive team rebound	0	2
9:35	Jalen Williams blocks Michael Porter Jr. 's 25-foot three point jumper	0	2
9:33	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defensive rebound	0	2
9:24	Nikola Jokic defensive 3-seconds (technical foul)	0	2
9:24	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes technical free throw	0	3
9:18	Nikola Jokic personal foul	0	3
9:09	Luguentz Dort misses 26-foot three point jumper	0	3
9:06	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	0	3
8:57	Chet Holmgren shooting foul	0	3
8:57	Michael Porter Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2	1	3
8:57	Michael Porter Jr. misses free throw 2 of 2	1	3
8:55	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defensive rebound	1	3
8:49	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes 15-foot two point shot	1	5
8:26	Isaiah Hartenstein blocks Nikola Jokic 's 4-foot driving floating jump shot	1	5
8:24	Jalen Williams defensive rebound	1	5
8:20	Luguentz Dort misses 22-foot three point shot	1	5
8:16	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	1	5
8:08	Christian Braun makes dunk (Nikola Jokic assists)	3	5
7:55	Isaiah Hartenstein misses 8-foot two point shot	3	5
7:54	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	3	5
7:50	Jalen Williams vs. Aaron Gordon (Chet Holmgren gains possession)	3	5
7:48	Aaron Gordon lost ball turnover (Jalen Williams steals)	3	5
7:38	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes 17-foot pullup jump shot	3	7
7:22	Christian Braun lost ball turnover (Jalen Williams steals)	3	7
7:10	Luguentz Dort misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	3	7
7:07	Chet Holmgren offensive rebound	3	7
7:03	Jalen Williams misses 26-foot three point jumper	3	7
6:58	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	3	7
6:54	Nuggets Full timeout	3	7
6:54	Alex Caruso enters the game for Chet Holmgren	3	7
6:54	Aaron Wiggins enters the game for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	3	7
6:37	Jalen Williams shooting foul	3	7
6:37	Jamal Murray makes free throw 1 of 2	4	7
6:37	Jamal Murray makes free throw 2 of 2	5	7
6:20	Aaron Wiggins misses driving floating jump shot	5	7
6:18	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	5	7
6:07	Michael Porter Jr. misses 23-foot three point jumper	5	7
6:04	Christian Braun offensive rebound	5	7
5:59	Christian Braun misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	5	7
5:56	Aaron Gordon offensive rebound	5	7
5:54	Michael Porter Jr. misses 23-foot three point jumper	5	7
5:51	Isaiah Hartenstein defensive rebound	5	7
5:41	Jalen Williams lost ball turnover (Nikola Jokic steals)	5	7
5:34	Alex Caruso personal foul	5	7
5:34	Russell Westbrook enters the game for Christian Braun	5	7
5:34	Aaron Gordon offensive foul	5	7
5:34	Aaron Gordon turnover	5	7
5:22	Luguentz Dort misses 26-foot three point jumper	5	7
5:19	Michael Porter Jr. defensive rebound	5	7
5:06	Jamal Murray makes 4-foot two point shot (Aaron Gordon assists)	7	7
4:57	Luguentz Dort makes 27-foot three point jumper (Jalen Williams assists)	7	10
4:41	Russell Westbrook misses 23-foot three point jumper	7	10
4:37	Aaron Wiggins defensive rebound	7	10
4:33	Alex Caruso makes two point shot (Jalen Williams assists)	7	12
4:22	Russell Westbrook misses layup	7	12
4:19	Russell Westbrook offensive rebound	7	12
4:19	Russell Westbrook misses tip shot	7	12
4:18	Russell Westbrook offensive rebound	7	12
4:14	Russell Westbrook misses 6-foot two point shot	7	12
4:08	Jalen Williams defensive rebound	7	12
4:02	Aaron Wiggins misses 26-foot three point jumper	7	12
3:59	Aaron Gordon defensive rebound	7	12
3:50	Luguentz Dort personal foul	7	12
3:50	Peyton Watson enters the game for Michael Porter Jr.	7	12
3:50	Christian Braun enters the game for Aaron Gordon	7	12
3:50	Chet Holmgren enters the game for Luguentz Dort	7	12
3:50	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters the game for Jalen Williams	7	12
3:50	Cason Wallace enters the game for Isaiah Hartenstein	7	12
3:42	Russell Westbrook misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	7	12
3:42	Thunder defensive team rebound	7	12
3:24	Aaron Wiggins traveling	7	12
3:03	Nikola Jokic misses 10-foot two point shot	7	12
2:59	Chet Holmgren defensive rebound	7	12
2:58	Aaron Wiggins misses running pullup jump shot	7	12
2:55	Russell Westbrook defensive rebound	7	12
2:44	Peyton Watson misses 22-foot three point jumper	7	12
2:40	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defensive rebound	7	12
2:25	Chet Holmgren misses 11-foot two point shot	7	12
2:20	Cason Wallace offensive rebound	7	12
2:19	Cason Wallace makes two point shot	7	14
2:03	Russell Westbrook misses 23-foot three point jumper	7	14
2:00	Chet Holmgren defensive rebound	7	14
1:57	Peyton Watson personal foul	7	14
1:57	Thunder Full timeout	7	14
1:57	Julian Strawther enters the game for Jamal Murray	7	14
1:57	Jaylin Williams enters the game for Alex Caruso	7	14
1:46	Cason Wallace bad pass (Nikola Jokic steals)	7	14
1:28	Peyton Watson misses 23-foot three point jumper	7	14
1:25	Aaron Wiggins defensive rebound	7	14
1:16	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses driving floating jump shot	7	14
1:13	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander offensive rebound	7	14
1:12	Julian Strawther shooting foul	7	14
1:12	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes free throw 1 of 2	7	15
1:12	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes free throw 2 of 2	7	16
59.1	Nikola Jokic bad pass (Jaylin Williams steals)	7	16
47.1	Jaylin Williams bad pass (Nikola Jokic steals)	7	16
43.1	Jaylin Williams shooting foul	7	16
43.1	Christian Braun misses free throw 1 of 2	7	16
43.1	Nuggets offensive team rebound	7	16
43.1	Isaiah Joe enters the game for Chet Holmgren	7	16
43.1	Christian Braun makes free throw 2 of 2	8	16
31.2	Isaiah Joe misses 26-foot three point jumper	8	16
29.1	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	8	16
15.2	Christian Braun misses 23-foot three point jumper	8	16
12.1	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defensive rebound	8	16
4.0	Peyton Watson shooting foul	8	16
4.0	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses free throw 1 of 2	8	16
4.0	Thunder offensive team rebound	8	16
4.0	Jamal Murray enters the game for Christian Braun	8	16
4.0	Michael Porter Jr. enters the game for Peyton Watson	8	16
4.0	Chet Holmgren enters the game for Aaron Wiggins	8	16
4.0	Alex Caruso enters the game for Isaiah Joe	8	16
4.0	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes free throw 2 of 2	8	17
1.0	Nikola Jokic misses 60-foot three point pullup jump shot	8	17
0.0	Nuggets offensive team rebound	8	17
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	8	17

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Ball Arena

Denver, CO

Date & Time

7:30 PM, May 11, 2025

Coverage

ABC, ERADM

Attendance

19,995

Referees

Sean Wright, Tony Brothers, Tre Maddox, Tyler Ford

2025-26 Northwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Oklahoma City	46	15	.754	W1
Denver	37	23	.617	L1
Minnesota	37	23	.617	W2
Portland	29	32	.475	L1
Utah	18	42	.300	L5

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 25 points and leads Thunder past Denver 92-87 to tie series 2-2

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