The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder faced off in an intense NBA matchup, showcasing a flurry of missed shots and impressive plays during the third quarter. The game, which has seen both teams vying for supremacy, was marked by key moments that shaped their strategies as the clock ticked down.
As the third quarter was approaching its end, Michael Porter Jr. pulled up for a 28-foot three-point shot. He only had 25 seconds remaining on the clock, and he did not take the shot. Just a few minutes later, Christian Braun drove to the hoop. He forced a layup as the clock wound down to four seconds, a contested shot that he bricked, raising the stakes on the Nuggets. Braun wasted no time to redeem himself. With help from star center Nikola Jokic, he buried a 25-foot three-point jumper just seven seconds later.
Aaron Gordon took a 24-foot three-point shot with only 35 seconds left on the shot clock. Unfortunately, that shot missed wildly. A few minutes later, Porter Jr. came down the floor and hit another running pull-up jump shot. Unfortunately, it largely landed off the mark at 49 seconds.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander blew the crowd away with a jaw-dropping 8-foot two-point shot at the 35-second mark. Only 13 seconds later, he cashed a 7-foot pull-up jump shot, with both assists going to Jalen Williams. Williams’ turnover that led to a Porter Jr. steal was another example of the defensive intensity, clearly present from both teams.
Defensive plays, both literally and metaphorically, were critical in this era. Jokic picked up a loose-ball foul, then instantly rained on Chet Holmgren’s parade with a 15-foot chase-down rejection right before Holmgren made both of his free throws with 48 seconds left. The Thunder’s defensive unit was able to close out possessions with a rebound to help lead to easy offensive transition bucket attempts for the quarter.
As we headed into the fourth quarter, the final tally remained under wraps. In each case, fans were glued to their seats, waiting for all the excitement in what was always a hyper-competitive fourth quarter. Given how resilient and offensive powers both teams were, the game continued to be up in the air.
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