When looking at both the OKC Thunder and Denver Nuggets in this best-of-seven semifinal matchup, many debates could be had regarding who may have the upper hand in a multitude of individual areas.
From conversations about which team has the better number two option to the most popular topic of whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic is the best player in the series, the disputes are seemingly endless, especially considering the two parties are currently at a stalemate, tied up at 2-2.
However, though there may be arguments in favor of either ball club in a bevy of different departments, one that's by no means up for discussion is which squad sports the superior second unit.
Undoubtedly, it is the Thunder who possess the advantage in this category, and their Game 5 win in Denver clearly highlighted such a rotational edge.
Game 5 win a clear sign Thunder boast a much deeper roster than Denver
Never was their roster depth more evident than during the pivotal second half of action during Sunday's matinee, when, following a rather close first two quarters, such a luxury proved to be the ultimate difference-maker down the stretch.
After witnessing the Nuggets go on a 22-10 run through the initial seven minutes of the third period, coach Daigneault opted to dip into his reserve collection, pulling starters Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams in favor of Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins.
Immediately, such a decision went on to pay serious dividends for the Thunder, as Wiggins hit a triple mere seconds after entering the game to cut their deficit to three (55-58) while the duo specifically spearheaded the club's offense, scoring all 11 of the team's points throughout the remainder of the quarter.
This momentum flowed right on into the fourth, as they poured in nine of OKC's first 11 points to kick things off, with Wallace hitting the smooth trey at the 8:35 mark to help re-gain the lead for the top-seeds.
From there, it was never relinquished, and the Thunder would go on to win by a final score of 94-87 and, in turn, are heading back to the Sooner State with the series tied up heading into Game 5.
Though the star power of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his stat-sheet stuffing performance (25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) was certainly a necessity, in the end, the biggest influence in Oklahoma City's crucial victory was their elite depth, as they rolled out 10 total players on the night compared to Denver's eight (just two of their reserves saw second-half action).
The Thunder are filled to the brim with spark-plug contributors ready to come into the contest and bring energy and much-needed change of pace at a moment's notice.
The Nuggets clearly are not as fortunate, and this discrepancy was undeniably evident in and, frankly, crucial to OKC's must-win Game 4.