The strongest loses to the strongest team, and that's basketball

The Nuggets have contributed a lot of games in this year's playoffs, but today was probably their most emaciated. Before today, Jokic won all 6 games, and after today, Jokic's record has become 6-1.

The Nuggets went into the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead, and the game ended up with a seven-point loss. The Thunder went 34-19 in the final quarter to complete the comeback, and the Nuggets' 19 points, 13 of which were scored by Jokic.

By the time the game entered the final 5 minutes, the game had evolved into Thunder vs. Jokic. The Thunder played seven consecutive rounds, and the offensive success rate was unbelievable, and Jokic's response ball was also pushing him into the role of a lone hero.

At 4 minutes and 36 seconds, Chet put in the basket, and the two sides were tied; Jokic made two free throws for a big loop.

At 4:04, Hatten scored a second attack and tied again; Murray throws the cover.

3 minutes and 33 seconds, Alexander turned and scored a layup; Jokic scored a basket over the heads of four men.

In 2 minutes and 46 seconds, Hatten scored an empty basket and scored again; Jokic broke through and made a throw.

In 2 minutes and 02 seconds, Alexander scored a 2+1 jump shot and overtook again; Jokic hit a three-pointer from a super step back to tie it again.

So far, the Thunder has played five rounds in a row, and Jokic responded to four of them, making serves, second offenses under the basket, breaking through throws, and limiting three-pointers, using all kinds of means to support the Nuggets to bite the score. At 1 minute and 39 seconds, the two sides were tied.

Then we saw Jalen and Alexander each get an open three-point shot and both made their own shots, and the Nuggets were not only collapsing on offense, but the defensive rotation was also close to collapsing. Jokic finally couldn't respond anymore, Porter Jr. failed to respond with two three-pointers, and the Nuggets' defeat was decided.

After 4 minutes and 36 seconds in the final quarter, the Thunder scored seven consecutive rounds, with god-like offensive efficiency and extreme team basketball as the background, and the Thunder won Tianwang Mountain with better team depth.

In fact, before Murray made that layup in the final garbage time, the Nuggets' first 17 points in the fourth quarter, 13 of which came from Jokic. The fat man played the whole fourth quarter, hoping to complete the fire in the first half of the last quarter, but he didn't expect to become the frog on the warm water.

The Thunder were about to collapse at one point, Alexander couldn't break through, and the offense fell into stagnation, but Dort, who fell from the sky, saved the team with three consecutive three-pointers in the final quarter. When the game was pulled back to the same running line, the Thunder still had the physical ability to sprint at full strength, and the Nuggets team was physically and mentally exhausted, Dort's three three-pointers broke down the Nuggets' psychological defense.

So I can only rely on Jokic to respond again and again, Jokic played 44 minutes in the whole game, got 44 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, shot 17 of 25, and 5 of 7 three-pointers. But even Jokic can't give his teammates a little more fitness.

Just like the previous game, the Nuggets' physical fitness was fully blown up by the Thunder in the fourth quarter. Today, Wei Shao's shooting condition was extremely poor, and he was replaced after playing 1 minute in the final quarter, so basically the Nuggets' five starters played the entire fourth quarter.

The Nuggets put Strawther into the rotation today and played 10 minutes, but it was Porter Jr.'s time that was eaten up by Grauder, who missed a three-pointer on 1-of-7 shooting today. The physical problems of the core players are still unsolvable, and Murray has been considered a god in the first three quarters, scoring 13 points in a single quarter in the third quarter. But in the fourth quarter, his physical collapse was the most obvious, and he was no longer able to hold the ball.

So the Nuggets have been caught up by the Thunder again, they have a longer rotation and better physical reserves, and of course, their core itself is younger and more energetic. Wiggins + Wallace in the last game, Dort today, and the Thunder's role player three-pointers once again changed the direction of the game.

Alexander had an extremely bad start today, once shooting 1-of-6, 4 points and 4 turnovers, not to mention shooting iron, and there were many inexplicable mistakes. But in the second half, Alexander scored 10 points each in the third and fourth quarters, and hit 2+1 and three-pointers in the final moments to pull himself out of the room.

Jokic is clearly the strongest guy in this series, especially after a game like today's. But now the 3-2 lead was the Thunder, with Alexander losing to a personal rivalry with Jokic, but the team took the lead.

After the game, Alexander said: "The answer is never individual heroism or any extraordinary, but sticking to the truth – trusting each other and working as one. No matter what the problem is, we can always rely on teamwork to solve it. ”

The best player loses to the strongest team, and such a script can hardly be said to be in line with heroism, but this is basketball, and this is also reality. Once upon a time, the Nuggets were also the better team, with Jokic's back, Murray's blessing, and a strong bench.

But time changed everything, and two years was enough to change the Nuggets in '23 beyond recognition. The infighting between the head coach and the general manager has affected the development of the team, and the two have both exploded this year, leaving behind a team that is extremely uneven and extremely dependent on Jokic.

I wouldn't say the series is over, and I even have a hunch that Jokic will finish about "G7" again. But when the series is stretched again, the Thunder, who run faster, will definitely reach the finish line sooner than the Nuggets.