Jamal Murray scored 27 points and Aaron Gordon added 22 — including a three-pointer to send it to overtime, where the Nuggets dominated for a 113-104 triumph and a 2-1 series lead over the Thunder.
Routed in game two, the Nuggets had to battle throughout a game that featured 15 lead changes. That included six in the fourth quarter, when neither team led by more than three.
Denver’s reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic connected on just eight of 15 shots from the field on the way to 20 points with 16 rebounds.
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, tipped to topple Jokic in this season’s MVP voting, struggled as well, making just seven of his 22 attempts for 18 points.
Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 32 points and Chet Holmgren added 18 points and 16 rebounds for Oklahoma City, the Western Conference top seeds after leading the league with 68 regular-season victories.
But Jokic drove for the first basket of overtime and Michael Porter Jr. added a three-pointer to give the Nuggets their biggest lead of the game 107-102 and the Thunder never really threatened from there.
“It was everybody,” Murray said. “They’re a great team. They tested us all night and we were able to stick with it and get the win. So it was a good team win.”
The Nuggets will try to stretch their advantage when they host game four on Sunday.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Murray said. “We know we can be better than this.”
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
