Given the choice between winning ugly or losing with style, NBA coaches and players will take winning ugly.
If it were January, maybe losing with style has its benefit.
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.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won ugly Sunday, defeating the Denver Nuggets, 92-87, in Game 4 and tying the best-of-7 Western Conference semifinals series at 2-2.
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.
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 is Tuesday in Oklahoma City (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT).
Here are the winners and losers from the Thunder’s Game 4 win over the Nuggets:
WINNERS
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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 — crushed it inside the 3-point line. He was 8-for-14 on 2-point attempts, and his aggressiveness turned into free throws.
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’s Game 3 loss. He got back to the line in Game 4, making 9-for-12 while scoring nine points in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City’s bench
The Thunder had one of the NBA’s 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.
But Oklahoma City’s bench outscored Denver’s 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.
Thunder defense/transition offense
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’s No. 1 defense this season.
Aaron Gordon
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 — one led to three free throws and one went in off the backboard — cut Oklahoma City’s lead from 90-83 to 90-87 in the game’s final seconds.
LOSERS
Nikola Jokic
The series has turned into a difficult one for Jokic, Denver’s MVP finalist. An offensive jedi, Jokic’s efficiency has taken a hit against the Thunder in the past three games. Since his 42-point, 22-rebound performance in Denver’s Game 1 victory, the Thunder limited Jokic’s ability to dominate a game with his scoring, passing and rebounding.
During the regular season, Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals and shot 57.6% from the field, 41.7% on 3-pointers and 80% on free throws.
In the past three games: 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 33.3% from the field and 18.2% on 3-pointers. In Game 4, Jokic had 27 points, but 11 came on free throws and he was 7-for-22 shooting.
Credit the Thunder’s defense, which also has forced interim coach David Adelman and his staff to find a way to unlock Jokic.
3-point shooting
In the first half, Denver and Oklahoma City were a combined 6-for-44 on 3-pointers — each going 3-for-22. The second half was marginally better — both shot 24.4%.
Michael Porter Jr.’s left shoulder
Porter is not on Denver’s injury report, but he has a left shoulder sprain sustained in the first round, and he told reporters after Game 3 it’s an injury that normally sidelines a player for 4-6 weeks.
Porter Jr. had a good Game 3 (21 points on 7-for-10 shooting and eight rebounds), but in the other three games of the series, he is 4-for-25 with 13 points.
The shoulder is wrapped, and he is playing through it. But he’s unable to provide the consistent offense Denver needs. He was 1-for-7 (0-for-5 on 3s) in Game 4.