OKLAHOMA CITY — Nikola Jokić delivered one of his most dominant performances of the postseason Tuesday night, but even his 44-point explosion wasn’t enough to lift the Denver Nuggets past a resilient Oklahoma City Thunder squad in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Despite Denver’s All-NBA center shooting 17-of-25 from the field and pulling down 15 rebounds against OKC’s length and physicality, the Nuggets fell 112-105 at Paycom Center. Now trailing 3-2 in the series, Denver faces a must-win Game 6 at home on Thursday to keep their repeat title hopes alive.

“They didn’t really change their defense,” Jokić said postgame. “They’ve played the same way all series. The only difference tonight was the shots were falling.”

After being held in check for much of the series—shooting just 33% from the floor across Games 2 through 4—Jokić found his rhythm early, scoring 19 in the first half and converting a variety of contested floaters, hooks, and layups against Oklahoma City’s towering frontline of Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams.

Denver interim head coach David Adelman credited Jokić’s early success as the spark for his offensive outburst.

“He finally saw a few of those touch shots go down,” Adelman said. “Once that happened, it unlocked everything else.”

But while Jokić played like an MVP, his supporting cast faltered. Jamal Murray finished with 28 points but struggled to find efficiency, hitting just 10 of 27 shots. Aaron Gordon added 13 points, but no other Nugget managed more than eight.

Collectively, Denver’s non-Jokić players shot a woeful 23-for-72 from the field, combining for only 61 points. That inefficiency proved costly down the stretch.

After leading by eight entering the fourth quarter, the Nuggets were outscored 34-19 in the final 12 minutes. The Thunder’s defense tightened, and their offense surged, capitalizing on Denver’s stagnant possessions and missed opportunities.

“We just needed one or two more guys to have a solid game,” Adelman said. “That’s something I fully believe can happen in Game 6. This series isn’t over.”

Jokić echoed the sentiment. Despite the bitter taste of the Game 5 loss and the looming threat of elimination, he remained confident in his team’s ability to respond.

“This is how the playoffs work,” he said. “Every game brings something different. People didn’t expect us to win Game 1, and we did. We didn’t play our best in Game 3 but still found a way. We know what we’re capable of.”

The Nuggets now return to Ball Arena for Game 6, needing a complete team effort to force a decisive Game 7 back in Oklahoma City.

Tip-off is set for Thursday night, and if Denver hopes to keep their title defense alive, they’ll need more than a one-man show.

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