The Denver Nuggets led for a great portion of the second half in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nikola Jokic went absolutely superhuman, scoring 44. However, in the moments where composure mattered most, the rest of the Nuggets failed to show up. OKC didn’t make those errors, overcoming their adversity and turning it into a 3-2 advantage. They are now headed to Denver with a chance to close the series.

The Nuggets’ showing in the fourth quarter was preposterous. The Joker was the only handy contributor, scoring 13 in the final period. The remaining six Nuggets players only combined for a grand total of one field goal. The simpler explanation is that they didn’t show up. However, to Charles Barkley, David Adelman made some huge blunders.

“I mean, look at those numbers. First of all, no player is going to say they are tired. Come on man, that’s fatigue,” the Hall of Famer said on Inside the NBA.

Aside from Jokic playing the entire second half, a few other players also seemed pushed to exhaustion. Jamal Murray and Christian Braun both played over 40 minutes against the Thunder. As a solution, Barkley believes managing minutes between Nikola Jokic and Murray is how the Nuggets could solve their late-game troubles.

“It has to be fatigue. Like everybody gets tired. I think he can break it up. Like, let Joker get break, let Jamal run the offense. Then take Jamal out. Let Joker run the offense,” said Barkley.

Considering how the OKC defense punishes each player with physicality, having fresh legs could turn out to be a key factor if the Nuggets do force a Game 7. Until the fourth quarter, Murray looked fantastic, having scored 24 points. Additionally, with Michael Porter Jr. also injured, it’s imperative for the Nuggets to explore their resources.

And it’s not just Murray alone who can handle the playmaking duties. Although susceptible to errors, Charles Barkley strongly feels Russell Westbrook can be an asset in such a series. His everlasting spirit and natural point guard instincts can make a great combination with an aerial threat such as DeAndre Jordan.

But all of this is only possible with internal trust. Does that exist in the Nuggets locker room right now?

Are the Nuggets a divided locker room?

A startling report came to the forefront before Game 5. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported a discourse after the Nuggets’ Game 2 loss to the Thunder. It gave wind of a heated argument that went on between Russell Westbrook and Aaron Gordon. The aftermath of the same shocked the NBA world. Everybody felt Brodie might be dragging the team down. But is that true?

Since Gordon got to know about the report, he wanted to set the record straight. Firstly, he was incensed by the fact that the story even made it out of the locker room. And while he did validate the claims, he felt that’s the product of the openness that exists within the Nuggets.

“Russ is one of the most talented basketball players that has ever played the game of basketball. Quite frankly, he’s been great for us all year long. We’re brothers. We spend more time with our team than we do with our own family. Of course, there’s gonna be disagreements, but that conversation wasn’t for anybody other than our own group and the internal workings of our locker room,” he told the reporters after the game.

So, no matter what the reports suggest, Gordon sticks to his stance of embracing Westbrook’s energy within the locker room. From the moment his trade was announced, the forward vowed to do anything to bring the future Hall of Famer a title. Maybe their passion for the shared objective led to some friction.

But not only is that momentary, it’s also a common part of contending teams. Accountability is a huge factor in creating a successful environment. And after Gordon’s comments, one thing is certain. The Denver Nuggets aren’t divided. The only fixes they need to make concern their rotations, which are an absolute necessity before Game 6.

Do you think the Nuggets can force a Game 7 against OKC? Let us know your views in the comments below.