"LEAVE THIS PATHETIC TEAM" - Nuggets fans furious after Nikola Jokic's 44-point effort goes in vain in clutch-time loss to OKC

Nikola Jokic delivered a monster performance Tuesday night, dropping 44 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and dishing five assists. However, it wasn’t enough, as the Denver Nuggets fell 112-105 to the OKC Thunder in Game 5 of their second-round matchup.

Denver led by as many as 12 and entered the fourth quarter up eight, but the Thunder mounted a comeback while the Nuggets’ offense fell apart. Outside of Jokic, who poured in 13 points and made six shots in the final frame, the rest of the team combined for just 1-of-15 shooting in the last 12 minutes.

Nuggets fans were devastated by the loss, and reactions on social media ranged from heartbreak to outrage, with some even calling for Jokic to leave the team.

“LEAVE THIS PATHETIC TEAM,” one said.

“He hooped but Nuggets just don’t have the roster around him to beat OKC,” another said.

“Unbelievable game from the Joker. However, not much anyone can do individually or collectively when those fourth quarter freight trains surge at full speed,” another added.

Jamal Murray chipped in 28 points but struggled on 10-of-27 shooting, while Michael Porter Jr. was nearly invisible with only two points on a 1-of-7 clip.

“(Nikola Jokic's) 3rd option had 2 points. He’s the best in the world by a large margin,” one said.

“MPJ literally sold them the game, bro is shooting with his eyes closed,” another said.

“MPJ is gone this offseason when they lose,” another said.

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets head back home facing elimination

Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets now face elimination as the series shifts back to Denver, trailing 3-2. Game 6 tips off Thursday at 8:30 p.m., and a loss would end their playoff run.

Tuesday’s game marked the first time in the series that a team had won back-to-back, with the Thunder also staging a comeback in Game 4 in Denver.

OKC heads into Game 6 with momentum. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Game 5 with 31 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Jalen Williams added 18 points and nine boards, and Chet Holmgren contributed 14 points and eight rebounds.

Denver will need a major bounce-back from Michael Porter Jr., who had a standout Game 3 with 21 points but has scored in single digits in the last two outings. Russell Westbrook had just four points, and the team shot just 28.3% from 3 while committing 15 turnovers.