Navigation
Support Us
Search

Nuggets Fans as Exhausted as Players After Game 4 Loss to Thunder

Denver's short bench proved to be a major liability.
May 12, 2025
Image: Jamal Murray looked appropriately pained after the Denver Nuggets' 92-87 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on May 11.
Jamal Murray looked appropriately pained after the Denver Nuggets' 92-87 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on May 11. Denver Nuggets via YouTube

What happens on the ground matters — Your support makes it possible.

We’re aiming to raise $17,000 by August 10, so we can deepen our reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now: grassroots protests, immigration, politics and more.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal
$17,000
$700
Share this:
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

The Denver Nuggets' 92-87 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of their second round playoffs matchup on May 11 wasn't exactly an endorsement for Joker, star center Nikola Jokić's new energy drink.

After a start that would have needed to improve significantly to be characterized as horrendous, Denver actually went into the fourth quarter with a six point lead. But over the course of the next twelve minutes of court time, the younger, deeper Thunder reversed that dynamic in large part because the Nugs worn-out, overused starters had nothing left to draw from other than fumes. As a result, Denver surrendered its home court advantage and exponentially increased the level of difficulty required to defeat the squad with the NBA's best regular-season record.

This scenario is doubly frustrating given their Nuggets' impressive reaction to their eye-bulging 43-point loss in the series' second contest four days earlier. The outfit's return to Ball Arena didn't revive Jokić, whose repeated misses from beyond the arc displayed a J.R. Smith level of delusion; after missing nine in a row, he still couldn't resist the urge to clank a tenth. But Michael Porter Jr., who's been doing his impression of the one-armed man from The Fugitive since the Nugs were battling the L.A. Clippers in round one, somehow registered 21 points, Jamal Murray's shooting form returned to the tune of 27, and even Peyton Watson dropped seven. These efforts, plus another mega-timely Aaron Gordon triple, allowed Denver to take the Thunder to overtime, where their championship mettle shone through.

The 113-104 W gave the Nuggets a chance to go up 3-1 on the Thunder yesterday afternoon. But the quick turnaround of around 36 hours didn't provide the Denver starters, all of whom played 42 minutes or more on Friday night, nearly enough time to rest and replenish — and the results were unsuitable for viewing for anyone other than a construction particularly obsessed with bricklaying.

How fugly was Denver's shooting in the first quarter? Well, Porter's first three-point attempt was an air ball, and his second might have been, too; perhaps OKC's Jalen Williams got a fingernail on the shot, but perhaps not. He even missed his initial free-throw attempt — but at least the one that went through allowed members of the home crowd to sit down after approximately three minutes of waiting to nestle into their seats. (As Nuggets announcer Kyle Speller always declares, "No one sits 'til we score!") It took another sixty-seconds or so for Christian Braun to get a dunk, and Murray finally filled the bucket around the five-minute mark — and that was it for field goals. All told, the Nuggets managed so few points in the first — only eight — that their total at that juncture could have been mistaken for a typographical error. If the Thunder hadn't been nearly as cold (they countered with just eighteen points in the period), Denver's doom might have been sealed then and there.

Instead, Denver struggled back and was down just six points, 42-36, at the half. Better yet, the Nugs put together a comparatively inspired third stanza to move in front despite another brutal effort from Jokić; his 27 point sum came on 7-of-22 shooting. But down the stretch, the Nuggets' legs abandoned them. Nikola actually outscored Thunder pacesetter Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by two points, but the OKC bench contributed 35 points to Denver's eight — two from Watson and just six from Russell Westbrook, who was a study in mostly wasted freneticism. This output proved too much to overcome.

Afterward, Nuggets Nation took to social media and correctly targeted former general manager Calvin Booth for failing to secure the sort of backups who might have prevented Jokić and his brethren from spending their too-brief breathers watching the entire situation go to hell.

With the series deadlocked at 2-2, the Nuggets are slated for a return to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night that isn't quite a must-win, but close enough. Which means everyone in the lineup needs to start mainlining cans of Joker now.

Here are twenty memorable takes on X about Denver's energy crisis.

Number 20:
Number 19:
Number 18:
Number 17:
Number 16:
Number 15:
Number 14:
Number 13:
Number 12:
Number 11:
Number 10:
Number 9:
Number 8:
Number 7:
Number 6:
Number 5:
Number 4:
Number 3:
Number 2:
Number 1:
Image: Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.
[email protected]
A message from Michael Roberts: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of essential stories and to investigate issues that matter.
Support TodaySupport Us Today
Image: Fifteen Hours to Die: How Daniel Foard Suffered While Jailers Watched

Courts

Fifteen Hours to Die: How Daniel Foard Suffered While Jailers Watched

By Michael Roberts
Image: Veterans Groups Join the Fight Against the Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway

Calhoun: Wake-Up Call

Veterans Groups Join the Fight Against the Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway

By Patricia Calhoun
Image: Analysis: Colorado Tops Country in Nurse Burnout Thanks to High Patient Count, Little Support

Health & Wellness

Analysis: Colorado Tops Country in Nurse Burnout Thanks to High Patient Count, Little Support

By Catie Cheshire
Image: ICE Invaded Our Community to Grab a Good Neighbor

Opinion & Commentary

ICE Invaded Our Community to Grab a Good Neighbor

By Barbara Wright
Image: Hot Off the Press: Summer Membership Campaign Underway

Membership

Hot Off the Press: Summer Membership Campaign Underway

By Patricia Calhoun
Image: Fifteen Hours to Die: How Daniel Foard Suffered While Jailers Watched

Courts

Fifteen Hours to Die: How Daniel Foard Suffered While Jailers Watched

By Michael Roberts
Image: Veterans Groups Join the Fight Against the Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway

Calhoun: Wake-Up Call

Veterans Groups Join the Fight Against the Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway

By Patricia Calhoun
Image: Denver Clerk Upset by Vibrant Bond Snub Amid Election Security Fears

Election

Denver Clerk Upset by Vibrant Bond Snub Amid Election Security Fears

By Bennito L. Kelty
Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy. View our accessibility policy and AI policy. Westword may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2025 Denver Westword, LLC. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation