Thunder 112-105 Nuggets, who is the pillar of this game

On May 14, 2025, in the NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semi-Finals, the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 112-105 at home. At the beginning of the game, the Thunder made a perfect start of 12-2 forcing the Nuggets to call a timeout, but the Nuggets quickly adjusted, strengthened the basket offense and recovered the score, and led the lead in this round of series for the first time to end the first quarter. The Nuggets continued to insist on fighting in the penalty area to establish an advantage, while the Thunder stopped the bleeding through three-pointers. The two teams scored the same in a single quarter, and the Nuggets led by 2 points at the end of the half. Jokic performed well in the second half and led the Nuggets to widen the gap to double digits. However, Dortmund suddenly broke out in the last quarter and made three consecutive three-pointers to help the Thunder clear the gap. At the critical moment, Jaylenway and Alexander made three-pointers to kill the game. The Thunder won the battle of Tianwang Mountain and led 3-2 in the series, just one step away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

What wonderful performances are the stars in today's Thunder vs. Nuggets? Let's take a look at the game data and you can see it at a glance.

Jaylen Williams small forward: scored 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal, shot 14-5, 5-2 three-pointers, and 8-6 free throws 8-6

His performance today is comprehensive and stable. As an important wing force of the Thunder, Jaylen Williams showed his versatile value in the game. On the offensive end, although his shooting percentage is not particularly high, his scoring ability at critical moments cannot be ignored. Especially in the stalemate stage of the fourth quarter, his key three-pointer directly broke the balance on the court and laid the foundation for the Thunder.

What is more commendable is his contribution to rebounding, snatching 9 rebounds in the game, including 2 frontcourt rebounds. These valuable second-offensive opportunities have created additional scoring points for the team. On the defensive end, Jaylen Williams showed his resilience and concentration, especially the defensive restrictions on Nuggets' outside players, which forced the opponent to rely more on Jokic's personal abilities.

Homgren - Power Forward: Scored 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 9-6 shot, 2-1 three-pointer, 3-1 free throw 3-1

His performance today is efficient and comprehensive. Homgren showed his important value as the pillar of the inside in this battle of Kings Mountain. On the offensive end, his shooting choice was extremely wise, with 6 goals hitting 9 shots, and a shooting percentage of up to 66.7% showed his efficient offensive ability. Especially in the inside, his back-to-back singles and empty cut finishing ability have caused considerable trouble to the Nuggets' defense. On the defensive end, Homgren's performance was even more impressive. Facing the challenge of the league's top center Jokic, although he struggled with single defense, he successfully sent two blocks through active assisting defense and rotation, effectively interfering with the Nuggets' inside offense. His defensive position and timing showed extremely high basketball IQ, especially when the Nuggets tried to expand their lead in the third quarter, his defensive restrictions made great contributions to the Thunder's stabilization of the situation.

Haltenstein-Center: Scored 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 10-7 shot, 1-1 free throw, 1-1

His performance today was efficient and stable. Haltenstein showed his important value as the pillar of the inside in this battle of the King of Heaven. On the offensive end, his shooting choice was extremely wise, with 7 goals hitting 10 shots, and a shooting percentage of up to 70% showed his efficient finishing ability. Especially in the inside, his hook and close shots were almost unstoppable, and he stabilized the morale of the Thunder at critical moments many times. On the defensive end, although it was a bit difficult for Haltenstein to face a top center like Jokic, he increased Jokic's offensive difficulty as much as possible through active positioning and physical confrontation. He gave one block and one steal in the game, showing his enthusiasm and ability to grasp the timing on the defensive end. Especially in the stalemate stage of the fourth quarter, his inside defense made great contributions to the Thunder's stabilization of the situation.

Dotter-point guard: scored 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 turnovers, 8-4 shots, 8-4 three-pointers, 8-4

His performance today is a key turning point. Dortmund showed his fatal value as a shooter in this battle of Kings Mountain. On the offensive end, his three-pointer choice was extremely accurate, with 8 three-pointers hitting 4 goals, and his 50% shooting percentage was particularly precious in such a high-pressure game. Especially when the Thunder fell behind in the fourth quarter, he made three consecutive three-pointers, which directly ignited the team's counterattack momentum and became an important turning point in the game.

Dotter's off-ball run and space position are also commendable. He constantly searches for open space on the court, creating ideal goals for Alexander's pass. Although his rebounding and assist data are not outstanding, his gravity effect on the court cannot be ignored. The Nuggets defense has to pay more attention to his outside shooting, which has created more offensive space for his teammates.

On the defensive end, although Dortmund does not have impressive steals and block data, his defensive attitude and enthusiasm are also worthy of recognition. He actively participated in rotation defense during the game, especially the pressing defense against Nuggets outside players, effectively limiting the opponent's three-point shooting.

Alexander-point guard: scored 31 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers, 23-12 shots, 3-1 three-pointers, 6-6 free throws, 6-6

His performance today was the best in the game. Alexander showed his dominance as the team leader in this battle of Kings Mountain. On the offensive end, he has varied and efficient scoring methods, hitting 12 goals with 23 shots, not only scoring the team's highest 31 points, but also standing up at critical moments, including the three-pointer that secured the victory in the fourth quarter. His mid-range jump shot and breakthrough layup were almost unsolvable, and the Nuggets defense had little effect on him.

As the team's main controller, Alexander's organizational ability is also excellent, sending 7 assists throughout the game, demonstrating his passing vision and decision-making ability.. He cooperated with his teammates' pick-and-roll and found open teammates in defensive pinchs many times, creating high-quality scoring opportunities for the team. Although he made five turnovers, this figure is still within acceptable limits given his high usage rate and the Nuggets' targeted defense.

defensive end, Alexander's performance was equally impressive. Two steals and two blocks fully demonstrated his defensive enthusiasm and athleticism, especially the defensive restrictions on Murray, effectively reducing the opponent's offensive efficiency. His defensive position and rotation awareness in the game provide a solid guarantee for the Thunder's overall defensive system.

Caruso - Substitute: scored 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 turnovers, 10-4 shots, 6-3 three-pointers, 2-2 free throws, 2-2

His performance today is the best among substitutes. Caruso showed his important value as a bench firepower in this battle of Kings Mountain. On the offensive end, his three-pointer choice was extremely accurate, with 6 three-pointers hitting 3 goals, and his 50% shooting percentage provided the team with valuable outside firepower support. Especially when the Thunder fell behind at the end of the third quarter, his key three-pointer directly stabilized the morale of the army and laid the foundation for the team's subsequent counterattack.

Caruso's organizational ability is also commendable. Although he only had 2 assists, his ball control and rhythm control on the court showed the veteran's experience and calmness. His cooperation with the substitute lineup has helped the team maintain and even expand its lead during the second lineup period many times. Although there were 2 turnovers, this data is still within acceptable limits considering his ball possession responsibility. On the defensive end, although Caruso does not have outstanding steals and block data, his defensive attitude and enthusiasm are also worthy of recognition. He actively participated in rotation defense during the game, especially the pressing defense against the Nuggets substitute point guard, which effectively restricted the opponent's organizational offense.

The performance of other substitutes

To be honest, the performance of other substitutes of the Thunder today is also remarkable! Although Wallace only scored 4 points, those two steals came too timely, especially the interception in the third quarter, which directly converted into a fast break, igniting the home fans! Wiggins felt bad today, and only scored 3 points from 1 of 4 shots, but his defensive strength and fighting spirit on the court were really unspeakable. That block was simply cool! Although Jarinway only played for 10 minutes, the comprehensive data of 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists was quite solid. The key is that his +/- value on the court is as high as +7, which shows that although he doesn't play much time, he is playing every minute. Although Qiao did not score today, that defensive rebound also stabilized the situation at a critical moment. In general, although the Thunder bench did not explode today, everyone contributed their strength in their own position. This kind of team basketball is the key to their ability to defeat the Nuggets in the Battle of Tianwang Mountain!