Denver, CO -
The Denver Nuggets have lived to see another day.
Ty Lawson scored 27 points as Denver survived a late push by the Oklahoma City Thunder to force a Game 5 in their best-of-seven playoff series in a game that finished early Tuesday morning at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
The Nuggets scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to lead 78-69 and it was a 10-point lead with 2:44 remaining before Oklahoma City carved the lead to just two points with a 9-1 run capped by Kevin Durant's 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining.
After a miss by Raymond Felton, the Thunder had a chance to tie or take the lead, but Russell Westbrook's 3-point attempt was off the mark and Raymond Felton went to the line and hit both.
Still, after a lay-up by Westbrook and a 1-of-2 free throw trip by Nene, the Thunder had a shot, trailing by just three. Westbrook again took the potential game-tying trey, but it drew nothing and Lawson buried both free throws with 6.2 seconds remaining to clinch the win.
Durant would bury a 3-pointer with four seconds left to cut the lead to two and after Felton went 1-of-2 at the line, all that Oklahoma City could muster was a Westbrook heave from 35 feet at the buzzer.
Lawson led the Nuggets with 27 points, including a perfect 9-of-9 at the free throw line.
Durant scored 31 to lead the Thunder while Westbrook added 30. But, the duo combined to shoot just 20-of-48 from the field. Durant was 5-of-6 from three-point range.
Serge Ibaka added 13 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Game five will be Wednesday night at the Oklahoma City Arena. The game time has not yet been set.
