The Denver Nuggets know a thing or two about postseason basketball and their experience has come in handy against the young Oklahoma City Thunder in their Western Conference Semifinal match-up.

Denver eked out a 113-104 overtime win over Oklahoma City in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in their series. The Thunder limited Nikola Jokic to 20 points on eight-of-25 field goal shooting, including zero-of-10 on three-pointers, and forced him to commit eight turnovers, yet the Nuggets still found a way to win.

Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. were all unfazed by the moment and all took turns carrying the offensive load for Denver.

Murray continued his torrid postseason with 27 points, eight assists, and four steals in 48 minutes of play–all of which were team-highs. 

The 28-year-old guard is now the third leading scorer among all players in these playoffs and owns, to the surprise of many, the highest playoff point total among all point guards over the past three postseasons. Unlike most players who shrink in big moments, Murray does the exact opposite. He has historically shown that he has an extra gear in the playoffs and he is doing it yet again this season.

Gordon has taken a similar leap in the postseason, particularly in the fourth quarter of Denver’s close games. He put up 22 points on seven-of-11 shooting, including a three-pointer that helped force overtime. The 6’8 forward has already hit two memorable game-winners, one against the Clippers and another in their Game 1 victory in this series versus Oklahoma City, and added this latest shot in Game 3 to his fast growing highlight reel. 

In recent years, the 29-year-old Gordan has matured into one of the best role players in the NBA and this latest development, the emergence of his crunch time acumen, has been one of the most exciting storylines of the Nuggets’ playoff run so far.

Porter was the fourth Denver player to hit the 20-point mark in Game 3, scoring 21 on seven-of-10 shots, including five-of-six threes. He revealed during the postgame press conference that he was playing through a shoulder injury that should have sidelined him for at least four weeks which only made his performance even more impressive.

There is no way that the Nuggets should have won this game given how poorly Jokic played, but they still managed to pull through with the help of Murray, Gordon, and Porter. If they are to make it past this Thunder team and continue on their quest for a second NBA championship in three years, their supporting cast around Jokic must continue playing at this level–something that they are all very much aware of already given their championship experience.

The many battles that this Denver group has gone through together over these past few years clearly helped them get through Game 3. With each passing game though, Oklahoma City gains experience of their own which will only make the succeeding contests even tougher for the Nuggets. Nonetheless, this Denver team should be up for the challenge and more than ready for whatever comes their way.