The Thunder are fresh off a 112-105 Game 5 win over the Nuggets on Tuesday. It was a gritty victory that came down the stretch. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stepped up for an efficient 31 points. Lu Dort had a loud 12 points with timely outside makes.

The son of former Blazers and Kings coach Rick Adelman, the Nuggets' interim head coach has spent a lifetime preparing for this moment.

David Adelman didn't give Nikola Jokić or Jamal Murray a breather with the Thunder on the ropes. He should regret that.

The Thunder newbie will see a big jump in his salary next season, from $9.8 million to $18.1, but if he walked into Sam Presti’s office and demanded an advance on that raise, the Thunder brass would be hard-pressed to say no.

Jamal Murray didn't quite guarantee a Game 7. He alluded to it, though, in between sips of his blueberry-colored postgame recovery smoothie. “Very confident,” the Denver Nuggets guard said of a return to Oklahoma City.

The Nuggets decided against Russell Westbrook right before they won their first title. This year, they made the bold bet.

The Oklahoma City Thunder launched a late comeback to secure a 112-105 win in Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets, and it now holds a 3-2 lead in the NBA Playoffs.

Nikola Jokic was nearly unstoppable against Oklahoma City’s gritty, aggressive defense. The Thunder made a valiant effort to disrupt him, as they have all series.

However, the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves laid a weird blueprint last season. The Spurs traded their eighth pick to the Wolves for two picks in the very distant future. For a young team already boasting plenty of depth, the trade makes sense.