Tuesday night, the OKC Thunder not only became the first team in their Western Conference Semifinal bout to win two consecutive games but, with their exhilarating 112-105 victory over the Nuggets, have now taken a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven showdown.
Though evenly matched in a multitude of ways, as this series has unfolded, it's become quite clear that Oklahoma City's depth has been more than a handful for Denver to deal with.
So much so, in fact, that all of their wins in round two have been heavily influenced by this specific luxury, with Game 5 being no exception.
Following the contest, superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't help but speak glowingly about his team's enviably deep rotation, highlighting how significant an impact it has had on them so far in round two and going as far as to state that such a factor "ultimately makes us all stronger."
OKC Thunder star acknowledges roster depth keeps team 'fresh'
"We're fresh because of it. We like to play fast so being fresh helps," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Throughout the regular season, Oklahoma City found themselves rolling out 10 to 12 players on a consistent basis and wrapped with the top-rated bench unit in the entire association with a net rating of 5.6.
Thus far into the playoffs, such a rotational approach has only managed to continue, with coach Mark Daigneault regularly dipping into the double-digits with his in-game contributors.
This type of team-wide dependability has helped in a bevy of ways, particularly by allowing the Thunder to continue to sit SGA during the early stages of the crucial fourth period, something that undoubtedly helps keep him "fresh" for crunch time.
On the flip side, the Nuggets were widely regarded as being far too reliant on their top-tier talents and as having one of the least efficient second units in the game, registering the ninth-worst net rating at -2.2.
This discrepancy has been painfully apparent in this year's semifinal matchup, and Game 5 was the most recent example of how.
Frankly, though the core trio of Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Gilgeous-Alexander showed up big for the ball club (recorded 31 points, 23 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks on 50.0 percent shooting as a collective), the Thunder would not have been able to pull out this pivotal win had it not been for their depth.
In total, nine different OKC players logged 10 or more minutes and recorded double-digit points. Denver, meanwhile, only shelled out such run to seven individuals, with only three dropping in 10-plus points.
From Alex Caruso's rock-solid two-way play that kept the Thunder within striking distance early and often (13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists on 50.0 percent shooting from deep) to Luguentz Dort's fourth quarter heroics (shot 3-for-4 from deep), the team's slew of tertiary options wound up proving to be the true difference-makers on the night.
As stated by Gilgeous-Alexander, "all 10 of our guys are ready to go no matter the stage," and both fans and, to their own detriment, the Nuggets saw this sentiment grow stronger with Tuesday night's effort.