The Denver Nuggets suffered a disappointing 92–87 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals, evening the series at 2–2. The defeat came in front of a home crowd and was marked by one of Nikola Jokic’s least efficient outings of the postseason.
Jokic reflected on his performance postgame, acknowledging his role in the team’s offensive struggles. “I need to do a better job,” the reigning MVP said plainly after the loss. While his stat line—27 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and three assists—might look solid on paper, the efficiency told another story.
Jokic shot just 7-of-22 from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range, in what turned out to be one of his most inefficient playoff performances to date. He did make 11 of 14 free throws but struggled to find his usual rhythm against a scrappy Thunder defense.
As a team, Denver shot just 31.3% from the field and 24.4% from deep. They were also out-rebounded 55–49 and trailed 20–17 in assists—statistics that helped explain the narrow defeat.
Nuggets stumble out of the gate
The opening half set the tone for a grinding, low-scoring contest. Both teams struggled to generate offense early, with the first quarter ending 17–8 in favor of Oklahoma City—the lowest-scoring quarter by the Nuggets in this year’s NBA playoffs.
Combined, the two squads shot a dismal 13.6% (3-of-22) from three-point range in the first half. Oklahoma City entered the break shooting 34% from the field, while Denver sat at a shocking 21.1%, well below their season average.
Jokic finished the first half with 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Still, the opening quarter marked the first time in the 2024–25 postseason that he was held scoreless for an entire period.
Adelman: ‘A disgusting basketball game’
Despite Oklahoma City tying the series, neither team walked away from Game 4 feeling particularly proud of the performance. Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman didn’t mince words in his postgame comments.
“You’ve got to give their team credit. A really disgusting basketball game,” Adelman told reporters, per Jake Shapiro of Denver Sports 104.3. “Those guys made enough plays to push them over the edge to win the game.” Game 5 promises to be pivotal as the defending champions look to regain control of the series on the road.