Hunting for a superstar moment all series, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finally had one. A pull-up 3-pointer Nikola Jokic dared him to shoot served as the dagger of an improbable win that looked like a frustrating loss through the first three quarters.

The Thunder newbie will see a big jump in his salary next season, from $9.8 million to $18.1, but if he walked into Sam Presti’s office and demanded an advance on that raise, the Thunder brass would be hard-pressed to say no.

Gilgeous-Alexander made big plays down the stretch against the Nuggets. But as always, the Thunder's strength was in numbers.