By Daniel Paiz

A collective team effort earns Nuggets a 113-104 overtime win & 2-1 series lead Friday night in Denver. Jamal Murray scored 27 points and dished out eight assists. Aaron Gordon added 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and hit a huge game-tying three pointer that led to overtime. Gordon continues to show up big in the playoffs.

The most anticipated and highly appreciated showing of the night was from Michael Porter Jr. MPJ scored 21 points, eight rebounds, and hit five big threes including one in overtime to give the Nuggets momentum. His steady involvement in Game 3 really helped out the Nuggets, especially as the big fella didn’t have such a good evening.

There are times when someone is going to have a bad night, and that happens on the basketball court as well. For Nikola Jokic, 20 points, 16 rebounds and six assists were bad in part because of no made three pointers. For some reason the three-time MVP couldn’t connect from downtown, but he still played solid defense and scored when it mattered. Game 4 will be his chance to bounce back.

Game 3 Recap

First Quarter

Ball Arena is roaring as this game starts. Michael Porter Jr. hits two threes early and Denver is mostly disrupting SGA early in the quarter. 24-18 with 2:49 left in the first, several guys for both teams are scoring and it has the feel of a physical, muscle ’em out the way kind of game. OKC leads 28-22 after one, as Holmgren leads the visitors with 11; SGA has three points and Denver’s defense is much improved. Jamal Murray leads the Nuggets with seven points.

Second Quarter

Porter Jr. with a close-range bucket and a Westbrook steal and score cuts it down to a 28-26 lead early. Watson hits a three and it’s Denver 37-36 with 8:52 to go in the second quarter. The role players are scoring and keeping the momentum on Denver’s side. The Nuggets leading scorer right now is Porter Jr. with 13 points at the 7:22 mark; when MPJ and other guys get going it makes opponents have to pick their poison.

However, the defense is shaky because Braun and others miss a shot, and they get caught up talking the refs; that leads to some easy scores and this 49-42 OKC lead is a result. It’s understandable there’s some frustration because it seems that calls aren’t going both ways. The solution to that is outhustling the visitors, because when that happens you get more calls. OKC leads 56-51 in a physical game at the half.

Third Quarter

Porter Jr. and Braun are hitting shots, a much-needed response for this Denver squad this series. A Jokic bucket follows the pass from Murray to once again give the Nuggets a lead, 71-69 midway through the third. Denver keeps getting after it and needs to keep up the effort. Momentum is in the balance as the third quarter ticks down. Murray’s layup with the backspin on it makes it 78-77 with two minutes to go, this portion of the game is a grind. 83-80 OKC at the end of three.

Fourth Quarter

Westbrook hits a three to open Denver’s scoring. Jokic midrange shot makes it 92-90 with 7:42 to go, this thing is staying close! Denver has to be a bit more aggressive offensively right now. The Nuggets are doing a good job defensively challenging shots, but they aren’t making many right now; free throws have to be hit. Tied at 95 with 4:26 to go. From downtown it is not Jokic’s night, as he’s 0-10 from three. 102-99 at the 1:02 mark after back-and-forth trips with little scoring and a lot of hesitation from both teams. Aaron Gordon hits a big three to tie it at 102! Nuggets grab the rebound with 2.4 seconds to go and take a timeout. Jokic misses from three and overtime is next.

Overtime

Jokic takes it himself with a gentle finger roll, Porter Jr. hits a big three from a Murray outlet pass and the Nuggets quickly take a 107-102 lead. Jamal Murray weaves back and forth, nimbly avoiding Thunder defenders on his way to a smooth layup and a 109-102 lead. Under three minutes left, Denver’s defense has been very consistent.

Murray’s dive for the ball to keep it in Denver’s possession is emblematic of this overtime: the Nuggets are hustling for it, and the Thunder are tired. This Denver team shows real grit tonight as they hold OKC to two points in overtime. Nuggets win 113-104 and gain a 2-1 series lead.

Keys to Game 4

• Defense

Denver as a team buckled down in the waning minutes of the fourth and the entirety of overtime. However, the consistent pressure on SGA and forcing other guys to score did not work for OKC in the second half. Christian Braun’s eight points and seven rebounds will mislead those reviewing this game because he harassed SGA. The MVP candidate did not have a good first half. The fourth and overtime quarters continued to be rough for SGA with missed buckets, and his teammates followed suit. Denver’s defense has to stay at this level of effort for the remainder of the series.

• Michael Porter Jr.

Porter Jr. has had a rough postseason scoring wise, and there have been times when his body language has made him looked disengaged. Tonight, Porter Jr. was more aggressive with the ball, and he hit his signature threes early. When he is involved, the Nuggets become a multifaceted offense that is hard to measure. When that happens, Denver can have an underwhelming Jokic performance and still win. The Nuggets won’t have another performance from Jokic like tonight.

If the Nuggets can replicate this effort and defense, the sky is the limit.

Bonus Alert

Mile High Recap with Plumas Poetic episode 10 drops right below this sentence!