Sometimes, NBA playoff series bring the best out of role players. It's all matchup-dependent. Against the Nuggets, Williams has been a perfect backup center who ensures the Thunder will have at least one center on the floor at all times while their three-headed monster alternates.

As for Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray? They scoff at the notion of fatigue playing a factor in back-to-back blown leads to the Thunder.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 112-105 on Tuesday night to go up 3-2 in their Western Conference semifinal series. Oklahoma City overcame a 44-point, 15-rebound night from Denver’s Nikola Jokic. The Thunder can clinch the series on Thursday in Denver.

Nikola Jokić is the best basketball player on the planet, and he was also, importantly, the NBA's best player this season. But he is also almost certainly going to fall short in MVP voting to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for reasons that were on full display in Game 5.

The Nuggets are on the brink of elimination after a 12-point lead in the second half disappeared in Oklahoma City.