Thunder 149-106 Nuggets, who is the pillar of this game

On May 8, 2025, in the G2 of the NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semi-finals, the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 149-106 at home, tied the series to 1-1. The Thunder burst out 45-21 in the first quarter and won 7 points in the second quarter to widen the 31-point gap. The score difference broke through 48 points in the end of the three quarters and directly killed the suspense. Jokic left the six fouls without making a debut in the final quarter. This 43-point massacre set the second largest score difference in the playoffs in the past decade. The Thunder completely dismembered the defending champion's defense system with extreme space projection (56.2% shooting percentage + 44.4% three-pointer) and lightning conversion (fast attack score 26-5).

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.

Shay Gilgers-Alexander-the point guard scored 34 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, 11 of 13 shots, 1 of 2 three-pointers and 11 of 11 free throws.

His performance today is a playoff point guard textbook. Facing Murray's defense, he used the mid-range draw after pick-and-roll seven times, with a shooting percentage of up to 85.7%. Among them, Jokic completed emergency stop jump shots three times in the second quarter, exposing the traditional center's defensive weaknesses. On the defensive end, he turned into an iron gate on the outside line, and cut off Murray Jokic's connection three times, forcing the latter to make 4 pass mistakes in the half. As the tactical starting point, he converted 5 of his eight assists into three-point goals, using a breakthrough to completely activate the Thunder's three-point shooting percentage of 47.2%. In the 30 minutes he was there, the Thunder scored 51 points in a net victory.

Chet Homgren-center scored 15 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks, shot 3 of 8, 2 of 3 three-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws.

His performance today redefines the defensive value of modern centers. Jokic blocked two low-post singles in the first quarter, forcing the Nuggets core to shoot 5 three-second shots and hit only 1 goal. On the offensive end, he turned into a space turret, and two three-pointers in the bottom corner directly disrupted the Nuggets' defensive deployment. In the second quarter, he even staged a defender-style face frame breakthrough and dunk. It is particularly noteworthy that all his seven free throws were from offense and defense conversions to cause damage. In the first part of the third quarter, Jokic made 4 and 5 consecutive fouls, burying the defending champion's hope of turning the tables.

Jaylen Williams-The small forward scored 17 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, 6 of 11 shots, 0 of 3 three-pointers, and 5 of 6 free throws.

His performance perfectly interprets the value of "adhesives". 4 of 7 assists came from the weak bottom corner of the ball through the ball, and 2 accurate long passes and assists and fast breaks. On the defensive end, he suppressed his shooting percentage to 25%, and caused two consecutive offensive fouls from his opponent in the third quarter. When Alexander rested, he assumed the core responsibility of holding the ball. During the second quarter, he led the team to a 22-6 attack wave, and personally contributed 5 points, 3 assists and 0 mistakes.

Luganz Dort - The shooting guard scored 12 points and 1 rebound, made 4 of 13 shots, 2 of 9 three-pointers and 2 of 2 free throws.

His performance today is a typical 3D player ceiling. Although the three-pointer felt cold, he completely locked Murray on the defensive end, who made only 2 of 11 shots in his main defense period. Especially at the beginning of the first quarter, his two close-knit interference caused Murray to two and three times, setting the defensive tone for the Thunder. On the offensive end, he used the empty cut smartly. He received Alexander's pass from the ground in the third quarter to complete a 2+1 tie-in against the sky, completely destroying the Nuggets' counterattack arrogance.

Isaiah Joe - The substitute shooting guard scored 14 points and 1 rebound, 5 of 5 shots and 4 of 4 three-pointers.

His performance today is a substitute nuclear weapon. He made three consecutive three-pointers when he appeared in the second quarter, including two of which Alexander made a breakthrough and made the 0.3-second limit shot after breaking through the ball, widening the gap from 21 points to 30+. On the defensive end, he contributed the highest plus-36 plus-negative value in the game. At the end of the third quarter, he staged a 1-defense and 2-place game, interfering with the three-point attempts of Strauser and Pickett. As a space shooter, his four three-point shots all came from catch&shoot after tactical runs, perfectly executing the coaching team "battery strategy".

Carson Wallace-The point guard scored 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, 3 of 4 shots and 2 of 3 three-pointers.

His performance today proves the infinite possibilities of the new generation of point guards. During his early leadership in the second quarter, he used Jokic's weakness in defending the pick-and-roll and retreating twice, and made a steadily jump shot from the mid-range emergency stop. The defensive end contributed the highest three steals in the game, one of which Murray made a fast break dunk, directly stopping the Nuggets. As a post-00s rookie, he made 0 mistakes in 17 minutes of playing time, showing control over the game that surpasses his age.

When you see the performance of the Thunder bench, you will understand why they can clock in and get off work in three quarters. Watson scored 9 points in all 4 shots, and each empty cut was as accurate as a scalpel; although Strauser's 9 points were inconspicuous, he hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer twice with defense, which was a heart-breaking one. Even marginal player Najib showed up for European layups at the last time, and these young people turned the bench into a talent show stage. On the other hand, the Nuggets substitute, Westbrook's 19 points is behind the bleak data of 4 turnovers + 5 fouls. When a team needs a 37-year-old veteran to carry the substitute firepower, the ending is already destined.