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Thunder look to take down experienced Nuggets team<\/p>\n
USA TODAY Sports’ Lorenzo Reyes breaks down the second-round matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n
Sports Pulse<\/p>\n
Given the choice between winning ugly or losing with style, NBA coaches and players will take winning ugly.<\/p>\n
If it were January, maybe losing with style has its benefit.<\/p>\n
But in May during the NBA playoffs, when the grind and slog of almost every possession make even the best teams look bad, the choice is obvious. Winning trumps all.<\/p>\n
The Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> won ugly Sunday, defeating the Denver Nuggets<\/a>, 92-87<\/a>, in Game 4 and tying the best-of-7 Western Conference semifinals series at 2-2.<\/p>\n The Thunder shot just 35.6% from the field and 24.4% on 3-pointers, but that was enough as their defense limited the Nuggets and their star, Nikola Jokic.<\/p>\n Oklahoma City avoided a 3-1 hole, and the winner of the next game often wins the series. The winner of Game 5 in a 2-2 series goes on to win the series 81.3% of the time (192-44), and Game 5<\/a> is Tuesday<\/a> in Oklahoma City (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT).<\/p>\n Here are the winners and losers from the Thunder’s Game 4 win over the Nuggets:<\/p>\n WINNERSShai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/p>\n Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City’s MVP finalist, delivered a team-high 25 points plus six rebounds, six assists and two steals for the Thunder. He missed his five 3-point attempts, but did what he has done all season \u2014 crushed it inside the 3-point line. He was 8-for-14 on 2-point attempts, and his aggressiveness turned into free throws.<\/p>\n Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in free throws made per game (7.9) and was third in free throw attempts per game (8.8). He made just five attempts in the Thunder\u2019s Game 3 loss. He got back to the line in Game 4, making 9-for-12 while scoring nine points in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n Oklahoma City\u2019s bench<\/p>\n The Thunder had one of the NBA\u2019s top benches this season, and they needed help from reserves Sunday. Starters not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were a combined 11-for-40 from the field and 2-for-18 on 3s.<\/p>\n But Oklahoma City\u2019s bench outscored Denver\u2019s 35-8, getting 11 points, five rebounds and two steals from Cason Wallace; 11 points and six rebounds from Aaron Wiggins; and 10 points, four rebounds and two assists from Alex Caruso, for a combined plus-38.<\/p>\n Thunder defense\/transition offense<\/p>\n Oklahoma City held the Nuggets to 31.3% shooting, including 24.4% on 3s and turned 14 Denver turnovers into 18 points. The Thunder also had 14 turnovers, but limited Denver to just eight points off those turnovers. Jalen Williams had three steals and Gilgeous-Alexander and Wallace each had two for the Thunder, who had the league\u2019s No. 1 defense this season.<\/p>\n Aaron Gordon<\/p>\n Gordon is having a great playoffs for Denver. He has two game-winning buzzer-beater shots and scored 15 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and generated six assists in Game 4. His two 3-point attempts \u2014 one led to three free throws and one went in off the backboard \u2014 cut Oklahoma City\u2019s lead from 90-83 to 90-87 in the game\u2019s final seconds.<\/p>\n