The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to survive Game 5 on Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets to move one win away from the Western Conference finals. They needed contributions from everyone who saw the court in order to swing the pivotal matchup against an inspired Nikola Jokic. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered the knockout blow with a clutch three-pointer to move the Thunder's advantage to six points with 48 minutes, which came on the heels of an ice-cold triple from Jalen Wiliams. Lu Dort was also enormous for the cause, knocking down a handful of treys during crunch time.

Gilgeous-Alexander spoke to the total team effort from Oklahoma City and the belief they all have in each other during a postgame interview with TNT's Stephanie Ready.

"You're only as good as your weakest link and all 10 of our guys are ready to go no matter the stage," he said.

After a blistering regular season and gutty playoff performances, the proof of Gilgeous-Alexander's statement is in the pudding of what OKC city has been able to accomplish. Jokic was on another planet on Monday night, scoring 44 points and defying conventional norms. But it was the power of the collective that allowed the Thunder to swing the series back in their direction—even though Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points.

Oklahoma City get a chance to close out the series Thursday night in Denver. They'll enter with confidence in themselves and each other.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Shared the Secret to Thunder's Success After Game 5 Triumph.

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