AP Photo/Jack Dempsey
The Denver Nuggets will head to Game 6 with an advantage after overcoming the Damian Lillard Show in a pair of overtimes.
The Nuggets came away with the 147-140 double-OT victory in Game 5 at Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday, edging past a record-breaking performance from Lillard.
Nikola Jokic scored 38 points and had 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who led by as many as 22 points in regulation.
Lillard led the Blazers through regulation, then forced a pair of overtimes before capturing the victory for Portland, which won Game 4 on Saturday to even the series after dropping two in a row.
His three with 3.7 seconds left sent the game into overtime.
Only to sent it to a second extra period minutes later.
The performance was more than just heroic:
The Blazers will have to defy history in order to come back and win the series, as the victor of Game 5 in a 2-2 series has advanced to the next round 82.5 percent of the time in NBA history, per Dylan Mickanen of NBC Sports Northwest.
Notable Performers
- Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers: 55 PTS (17-24 FG, 12-17 3PT, 9-10 FT), 10 AST, 6 REB
- C.J. McCollum, Trail Blazers: 18 PTS, 7 AST, 7 REB, 2 BLK
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: 38 PTS, 11 REB, 9 AST
- Monte Morris, Nuggets: 28 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB
Damian Lillard Leads the Way, Even Before OT
Portland fell behind to start and trailed by more than 20 points throughout the first half, but a revitalized group outscored Denver 37-27 in the second quarter to get within three points by the half.
Led by 18 points from Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic were also in double-digits at the break after a slow opening. It was a 23-6 run for Portland that got it within striking distance entering the third, which is when the Blazers tied it up at 65-65.
They carried that momentum into the third quarter, when they went on a 12-2 run to take the lead with under three minutes in the frame, though the high-flying offense was stunted briefly when Jusuf Nurkic earned his fourth personal foul and headed to the bench.
Still, with every starter above 12 points by the end of the third, the Trail Blazers had finally hit their stride when it mattered most.
But they couldn’t keep it going and allowed the Nuggets to come back as they stalled to start the fourth. It took until there were seven minutes left to play for Denver to hit their second field goal of the quarter.
Despite an impressive performance from Lillard, the Trail Blazers fell in too deep of a hole for him to single-handedly complete Portland’s comeback and earn them the series advantage—at least in regulation.
Denver’s Bench Keeps It Going
The Nuggets took control early, racing out to a 10-0 run at the start of the game, led by six points from Austin Rivers.
But despite three players scoring in double-digits by the break, what was once a 22-point lead evaporated into just three points heading into the half.
Though the lead was depleted by Portland’s run at the end of the first half, one strong point for the Nuggets was their scoring depth. In addition to the all-around production from the starters, the bench produced 20 points in the opening two quarters.
One of the most crucial moments in Tuesday’s game came from the bench, when JaMychal Green hit a three to increase the distance and give the Nuggets a five-point lead with just over eight minutes to go.
Led by 26 points from Monte Morris, the Denver bench shot an impressive 8-of-16 from deep, contributing to an overall 45.5 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
The consistency from the unit helped the Nuggets come back to edge the Trail Blazers even as they mounted a comeback of their own.
What’s Next?
Things could be settled in Game 6, which is scheduled for Thursday in Portland at 8 p.m. ET.
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