After an exhausting Game 3 overtime battle on Friday night, both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets entered Game 4 visibly drained. Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman acknowledged the impact of fatigue but refused to blame scheduling outright.
“I’m not gonna say that,” Adelman said when asked if the quick turnaround affected the result. “I will say that I think both teams were very tired coming off an unbelievably physical overtime battle on a late Friday night. If it affected us, it surely affected them as well.”
Nuggets interim HC David Adelman says that Denver losing Game 4 was not due to only having 36 hours off after Game 3 🗣️
“Both teams were very tired coming off an unbelievably physical overtime battle on a late Friday night. If it affected us, it surely affected [OKC] as well.”… pic.twitter.com/U81fQdopo4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 11, 2025
That exhaustion was evident from the opening tip, as both teams stumbled through a historically low-scoring first quarter—setting multiple marks for futility.
The Thunder took a 17-8 lead into the second quarter, but the real story was the combined 25 points—the fewest ever scored in a first quarter in NBA playoff history.
Denver’s eight points marked their lowest output in a single quarter in franchise postseason history. The Nuggets failed to hit a single three-pointer in the opening period, while OKC managed just one make on 11 attempts.
Air balls were frequent. Open jumpers clanked off the rim. The sluggish pace reflected two teams still recovering from their Game 3 war of attrition.
Despite the dreadful start, the game eventually found rhythm. Denver clawed back into contention, even taking a 73-66 lead early in the fourth quarter. But OKC responded with an 11-0 run, flipping the momentum and holding off the Nuggets for a 92-87 victory.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Nikola Jokić finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 steals in the losing effort.
With the series now tied 2-2, both teams will look to regroup before Game 5 in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. The Nuggets will need to shake off their shooting woes, while the Thunder will aim to build on their late-game execution.
