Oklahoma
OKC Thunder Mount Late Comeback En Route to Game 5 Victory Over Denver
With the series tied at two apiece, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets squared off for a Game 5 battle in Oklahoma City. It was another competitive battle that ended in a comeback victory in favor of the Thunder, winning 112-105.
The duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray was in the spotlight of this matchup, combining for 72 points. Despite having one of the best defenses in the NBA, there was nothing Oklahoma City could do to shut Denver’s star duo down.
A quick start for the Thunder was quickly answered by Jamal Murray and the Nuggets in the first half. Everything was clicking for Oklahoma City to open the game, going up by eight points early. Murray, Nikola Jokic and company quickly led their squad back to erase that early deficit.
Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got out to a brutal start for such an important game. He started going 2-for-9 from the field with six points, struggling to see his shots fall. Luckily for him, his All-Star companion, Jalen Williams, was hot. He opened the game with 11 points on a much nicer 50% percentage, but that didn’t stop the Nuggets from creating a respectable lead.
With seconds waning off the clock in the second quarter, the lead for the Denver Nuggets was increasing. Jokic and Murray were scoring with ease and the lead eventually ballooned to 11 points. The Thunder needed a response to close out the half anywhere on the roster and luckily, that happened.
Rebounding was an issue for the Thunder, losing that stat battle 49-43. They allowed 16 offensive rebounds compared to their eight, one area where Oklahoma City left some points on the board.
Buckets from Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace brought the deficit back to within two points heading into halftime. It was an important late scoring run for the Thunder that made things much closer going into the final 24 minutes.
Jokic was a clear standout in this game at every point. He finished the night with 44 points, 15 rebounds and five assists on 17-for-25 shooting. He was dominant on the offensive end and put up a vintage stat line, reminiscent of his past MVP seasons.
For the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander came up huge. He finished the game with 31 points on 12-for-23 shooting, adding six rebounds and seven assists. Gilgeous-Alexander did everything he could to help his team win, contributing on defense as well.
The start of the third quarter was simply a disaster for the Thunder. The same Denver duo was cooking on offense and there was nothing the OKC defense could do to stop it. Jokic and Murray were proving why they are two of the best playoff players in the league with their overall performances.
Oklahoma City responded slightly, but still trailed by eight points heading into the final quarter. They were going to need their stars, including Williams and Holmgren, to step up big down the stretch.
Williams and Holmgren were far too quiet throughout most of this game. After an 11-point start for Williams, he went scoreless through the beginning of the fourth quarter. He did hit some clutch shots down the stretch, however, finishing the game with 18 points. Holmgren finished the night with 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting,
While those two struggled, guard Alex Caruso continued his offensive and defensive contributions off the bench for the Thunder. He finished the game with 13 points and four rebounds on 4-for-10 shooting, making his presence felt while guarding on the other end of the floor.
In need of an offensive spark, the Oklahoma City Thunder found sanctuary in guard Lu Dort. He knocked down three straight triples for the Thunder to bring them within two points halfway through the fourth quarter. It gave Paycom Arena energy, as well as the team, allowing them to close the gap and lock down on defense.
Some big triples from Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander, along with good defense in the final minute, helped the Thunder earn the tough victory.
An even more important Game 6 tips off 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 15 on the road in Denver.
Oklahoma is looking to make some history when it takes on Alabama on Friday in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
The Sooners and Crimson Tide square off at 7 p.m. Friday at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
A win would not only boost the Sooners into the quarterfinals, but would give them three consecutive victories over the Crimson Tide.
OU beat Alabama 24-3 last season in Norman and 23-21 earlier this season in Tuscaloosa.
Since 1960, only 12 programs have beaten the Crimson Tide in three consecutive meetings and only one such streak included a win over Alabama following Nick Saban’s first season in 2007 when the Crimson Tide went 7-6.
That streak?
Another Sooners’ winning streak in the series, which included pre-Saban wins in 2002 and 2003 and the Trevor Knight-led Sugar Bowl win as part of the 2013 season.
In the last 65 seasons, the Sooners were only the second non-conference team to knock off Alabama in three consecutive meetings, joining Texas, which beat the Crimson Tide in 1981, 1972 and 1964.
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Now, OU has a chance to repeat the streak, but this time as part of the SEC and in a do-or-die situation.
The other most recent three-game winning streaks against the Tide were Auburn (six consecutive from 2002-07), LSU (five straight from 2003-07) and Georgia (three straight in 2003-03 and 2007).
Alabama had won 10 or more games every season since that 2007 season before last year’s team finished 9-4.
OU is 5-2-1 against the Crimson Tide all-time.
Only a handful of other programs that have played Alabama more than once have a winning record against the Tide.
Texas is 8-2-1 vs. the Crimson Tide, while Notre Dame is 5-3 and Michigan is 4-3.
The only other programs with a winning record against Alabama in more than one meeting are the Birmingham Athletic Club (3-2), Boston College (3-1), Louisiana Tech (3-2), Rice (3-0), TCU (3-2) and UCLA (2-1).
Alabama is, by any measure, one of the most successful programs in college football history, claiming 18 national championships and four Heisman Trophy winners.
Of course, the Sooners are one of the few programs that can measure up to that, with several national titles and seven Heisman winners.
No team has beaten Alabama twice in the same season.
“Obviously we have tendencies. They have tendencies,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “They have certain matchups they like. We have certain matchups we like. At the end of the day, you can throw all that out. It’s time to start completely over. All that matters is what you do here moving forward.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the San Antonio Spurs in the Semi Final of the 2025 NBA Cup tournament. This is the third year of the event and second straight trip for the OKC Thunder to the Semi Final.
This is set to be a barn burner, as the Oklahoma City Thunder enter this contest 24-1 and the San Antonio Spurs sit at 17-7. Though, the even better news for both sides is the injury report. The Spurs get back generational talent Victor Wembanyama from his multi-week stint on the injured list and the Isaiah Hartenstein returns for Oklahoma City after missing the Thunder’s last five games.
With Oklahoma City only missing Isaiah Joe (knee contusion) in this contest, it gives them a rare treat. The Thunder for the first time all season will have their fully healthy starting five at their disposal. Many believe Mark Daigneault will deploy superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Defensive ace Lu Dort, All NBA swingman Jalen Williams, Rising star Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein.
This was the first time all season the Thunder have had the chance to prove that thought process right. It can be hard to navigate such a talent filled roster especially as well as Cason Wallace played as a spot starter and leading the league in steals.
In the end, the Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t the ones to throw a curveball with the starting lineup. It was the San Antonio Spurs who will bring Victor Wembanyama off the bench according to the official injury report submitted to the league before tip off.
This makes sense as Wembanyama has missed three weeks of action with a calf strain. San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson revealed that his star center was going to be restricted in his first game back, especially against this historically great defense.
OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineups
OKC Thunder Starters
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G
- Lu Dort, G
- Jalen Williams, F
- Chet Holmgren, F
- Isaiah Hartenstein, C
San Antonio Spurs Starters
- De’Aaron Fox, G
- Steph Castle, G
- Devin Vassell, F
- Harrison Barnes, F
- Luke Kornet, C
The Oklahoma City Thunder will have to be mindful of their rotations to counter Wembanyama off the bench and stagger the likes of Holmgren and Hartenstein to counter it.
Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder will either take on the New York Knicks on Tuesday in the NBA Cup Championship game with a win or resume their regular season with a loss. Falling to the Spurs would snap the Thunder’s 16 game winning streak, but issue Oklahoma City four days off leading into Thursday’s clash with the L.A. Clippers.
Catch up on Oklahoma’s top headlines of the week for Dec. 12, 2025
Here are Oklahoma’s top headlines of the week for Dec. 12, 2025
A Pawnee native who died in a Japanese prison during World War II is headed back to Oklahoma after officials identified his body 82 years later.
James M. Walker was an infantry corporal stationed on the Philippine Islands when Japan invaded in December 1941. U.S. forces battled the Japanese in intense fighting for months, but ultimately surrendered to the invaders in April 1942.
After being taken prisoner, Walker and thousands of other prisoners of war were forced to travel 65 miles to a prison camp on the notorious Bataan Death March. More than 2,500 POWs are reported to have died at the camp.
Prison camp records showed he died on Jan. 1, 1943 at the age of 46, but he was buried in a common grave with other deceased prisoners. After the war, the American Graves Registration Service exhumed the bodies, collected samples for identification analysis and reburied the remains in a memorial cemetery in Manila.
To identify Walker’s remains, scientists used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. The Armed Forces Medical Examiner System also used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Although interred as an “unknown” for decades, Walker’s grave was meticulously cared for by the American Battle Monuments Commission. His name is listed on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate his remains have been identified.
Upon his return to the United States, Walker will be buried in Maramec, Oklahoma in January 2026.
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