Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watched Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander make NBA playoff history in Game 2, tallying 34 points, eight assists, and ending with a record-breaking plus-51 plus-minus rating. Before Wednesday's game, nobody had ever posted 30 or more points and a plus-50 plus-minus in a single game in the playoffs.

For the Thunder, it was to foul up three and never give the Nuggets a chance at a decent look from the outside. For the Nuggets, it was to breathe in some final hopes to snatch Game 1. Chet Holmgren blinked first in the game of chicken.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did two things when he sank two free throws with 13.2 seconds remaining in Game 1 between his Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. First, and most importantly in the moment,