David Adelman didn't seem regretful about playing Nikola Jokić entire second half in Nuggets' Game 5 collapse

USA Today

14-05-2025

David Adelman didn't seem regretful about playing Nikola Jokić entire second half in Nuggets' Game 5 collapse
Denver Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman will never admit it outright, but he panicked.
On Tuesday night, during a pivotal Game 5, the Denver Nuggets had the Oklahoma City Thunder on the ropes entering the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. And for the second consecutive time, they couldn't finish the job. The Thunder now have a 3-2 lead in this epic second-round series that is starting to have a championship-like feel.
What particularly stung about this loss for Denver is that the Thunder had no answer for another Nikola Jokić masterpiece. And it still lost.
BATTLE OF THE MVPS: Is the NBA delaying an MVP trophy presentation for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in front of Jokić?
The three-time MVP dropped 44 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, and two steals while shooting a ridiculous 17-of-25 from the field. It's his second performance in five games with at least 40 points and 15 rebounds against one of the best defenses in NBA history. Throw in a scorching-hot Jamal Murray (26 points through three quarters) finding his rhythm alongside Jokić in the early portions of the second half, and it sure seemed like the Nuggets were about to stagger the Thunder and head back to home to Denver with a chance to clinch a berth in this year's Western Conference Finals.
But with an 86-78 lead at the start of the final stanza, Adelman elected to keep both Jokić and Murray on the floor. This meant the Nuggets' two players were effectively going to play the entire second half without even getting a short breather. This bold (brazen?) decision hit the Nuggets in the worst way as they faded hard in a heartbreaking defeat.
It's not the first time they've suffered a gut-wrenching loss with Jokić not resting at all in the fourth quarter, either:
When asked about his decision to specifically ride Jokić for the duration of the second half, Adelman said he didn't regret the decision. With the Thunder reeling, Adelman claimed that Jokić himself wanted to stay on the floor for the start of the fourth quarter rather than get at least a couple of minutes of rest and recalibration before closing the game out.
This was likely one of those instances where Adelman should've maintained some common sense and put his foot down instead of listening to his extremely competitive superstar's side of the story:
Adelman's decision to keep his two stars on the floor for the entire second half hurt the Nuggets twofold.
On offense, after having an aggressive and fluid mentality for most of the game, Jokić seemed to decide to conserve his energy (you know, instead of resting on the bench and coming back to attack again) by facilitating for others, like Murray. But without any rest for Murray, the point guard didn't have his legs and couldn't buy a shot with Jokić taking a step back. The Nuggets, in turn, got hesitant, settled for still-open jumpshots they bricked repeatedly, lost their rhythm, and it was too late.
They fell apart.
On defense, after frustrating the Thunder and presumed MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for most of the evening, the Nuggets' rotations were a step slow. That's because a unit that needs the offensively-centered Jokić and Murray to still pull their weight couldn't rely on both to fly around as much as they had for the first three quarters. Both had nothing left in the tank to keep the Nuggets' defense buoyed. It should be no wonder that Oklahoma City shot a backbreaking 5-of-10 from 3-point land during winning time after shooting just 7-of-19 through the first 36 minutes.
On some level, you could understand Adelman's no-rest rationale for his two best players in such a pivotal game.
These Nuggets have demonstrated that they don't have much of a reliable bench. Russell Westbrook couldn't buy a bucket all night. Peyton Watson turned in a solid defensive and rebounding effort, but is still super raw on offense. The same goes for swingman Julian Strawther, even though he did turn in a respectable 10 minutes in a tough spot for a green second-year player. Such is life with a top-heavy roster thin on dependable depth.
But to not even trust the Nuggets' role players for two, maybe even three minutes with an eight-point lead?
That reeks of panic. Of course, there's no guarantee the Nuggets would've maintained that late lead without Jokić on the floor. And that's what an overthinking Adelman was clearly afraid of. But at least the best player in the world and Murray would've had more gas in the tank for a tight finish if they had stuck to their regular rotation. That being Jokić reentering the game at around the 8-9 minute mark, while Murray comes off for a couple of minutes, before coming back around the halfway point himself.
Then, maybe the Nuggets don't run out of gas. Again.
But they did, and now their backs are against the wall. The Nuggets cannot lose again in this series, or their season will be over. We'll see how much they have left in the tank for Thursday night's Game 6 in Denver and a potential Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday night. It's nothing this experienced group hasn't seen before, but it is a tall order.
Something tells me Adelman is hoping he won't have to think about this questionable rotation decision all summer.