Bart Young/Getty Images The Denver Nuggets are one win away from their first Western Conference Finals in 10 years following Tuesday's 124-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 of their second-round series. Denver took home-court advantage back with its win in Game 4 and maintained its momentum by capitalizing at the Pepsi Center and seizing a 3-2 lead. Nikola Jokic (25 points, 19 rebounds and six assists), Paul Millsap (24 points, eight rebounds and two blocks) and Jamal Murray (18 points, nine assists and five boards) spearheaded a balanced Nuggets attack and were in control throughout. Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear 29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes Right Arrow Icon Damian Lillard (22 points, six rebounds and four assists) did what he could for the Trail Blazers but didn't play in the fourth quarter with his team facing a daunting deficit. CJ McCollum was just 5-of-16 from the field on his way to 12 points. Millsap's Veteran Poise is Exactly What Nuggets Need to Stun the World Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear 29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes Right Arrow Icon The young Nuggets had every right to be tight in the face of immense pressure to start Game 5. After all, this is a franchise that hasn't been this deep in the playoffs since 2009, well before its core was in the league. Every game is the new biggest one in the careers of Jokic, Gary Harris, Murray, Torrey Craig and Will Barton, among others. Tuesday's matchup was as close to a must-win as a non-elimination game can be since the Nuggets were a mere 20-21 on the road during the regular season. It is likely asking too much for them to take two games in Portland during a single series, so they needed to win the remaining contests at Pepsi Center. Millsap sensed the gravity of the moment and came out on fire as a playoff-tested veteran, set the tone and provided a steadying calm for the rest of the team to find its flow. He poured in 12 points during the first quarter alone and 19 by halftime, carrying the offense on the blocks, from mid-range and even beyond the three-point line. He masterfully played off the attention Jokic drew, finding openings in Portland's defense to create his own looks and skip-pass situations to free others. Millsap also ensured the frontcourt survived early foul trouble for Jokic and Mason Plumlee by bodying up against Enes Kanter for a block, stripping a driving Al-Farouq Aminu to create a layup on the other end, facilitating to Barton for a three-pointer when the defense collapsed and unleashing a smooth fadeaway jumper when he was matched up one-on-one against Evan Turner. It was more of the same for the four-time All-Star after he notched a double-double (21 points and 10 boards) in a Game 4 win. Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear 29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes Right Arrow Icon That he is rising to the occasion is no surprise considering this is his 10th postseason appearance. His resume features trips to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Atlanta Hawks and Western Conference Finals with the Utah Jazz. He is not intimidated by the magnitude of the stage, which is the exact type of presence this untested Nuggets team needed to survive the early nerves. The initial lead Millsap created allowed his teammates to settle in, and Murray eventually went into attack mode by driving to the rim and unleashing threes over Lillard's outstretched hands. Just for good measure, Millsap connected on a four-point play in the final 15 seconds of the first half after the defense started to collapse on Murray. Then he picked up where he left off with multiple looks at the rim early in the third quarter. The majority of the headlines entering this series were about Lillard and the Trail Blazers after his 37-foot buzzer-beater sent the Oklahoma City Thunder home in dramatic fashion. It will be much of the same for Denver should it advance to the Western Conference Finals against either the mighty Golden State Warriors as they look for a third straight title or James Harden as he attempts to cement another MVP-caliber season with his first championship. The unassuming Nuggets have quietly been a contender in the West all season while the others draw more attention, and they're now one win away from earning the right to play for a spot in the NBA Finals. The pressure is only going to intensify with every passing game, and Denver will need Millsap's battle-tested poise if it wants to shock the world and lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy. What's Next? The series returns to Portland for Thursday's Game 6.<doc-sep>The Denver Nuggets are rolling. After a clutch win in Game 4 over the weekend to even up their second-round series with the Portland Trail Blazers at 2-2, the Nuggets came back home and put together a dominant 124-98 victory in Game 5. Now up 3-2, they'll have two chances to close out the series and advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2009. They took control right from the jump, opening up a 7-0 lead in the first few minutes. And though the Trail Blazers closed the gap for a few minutes, the Nuggets never trailed in the first half. Over the final 4:43 of the second quarter, they used a 16-6 run to really blow the game open. Up 18 at halftime, the Nuggets never looked back, extending their lead to 31 points in the third quarter before cruising the rest of the way. Nikola Jokic led the way with 25 points, 19 rebounds and six assists, while Paul Millsap put together his highest-scoring game of the postseason with 24 points. Jamal Murray also played well, adding 18 points, five rebounds and nine assists. On the Trail Blazers side, Damian Lillard led the way with 22 points, but he needed 21 shots to get them. No one else on Portland scored more than 14 points. The series will now shift back to Portland, where the Blazes will face a must-win Game 6. Here are a few takeaways from the Nuggets' important victory: Murray was on one Jamal Murray has been stellar for the Nuggets in this series, and he was back at it again in Game 5. He didn't put up quite the numbers he has in the past few games, but he still finished with 18 points on 7-of-14 from the field, five rebounds and nine assists in 27 minutes. Perhaps most important was that Murray was instrumental in the Nuggets' second-quarter run that broke the game open. During their 16-6 run over the final 4:43 of the frame, Murray was directly involved in 12 of those points either by scoring or assisting. But even beyond the stats, the way Murray played was notable. He licked his fingers after one basket in that second-quarter run and showed plenty of style out on the fast break in the second half. Even his mistakes were exciting, as he started breaking out all sorts of ball fakes. Millsap feasts on Blazers' defensive game plan For many of the meaningful minutes in Game 5, the Trail Blazers switched Al-Farouq Aminu onto Nikola Jokic, which left Enes Kanter guarding Paul Millsap. The move didn't work in either direction. Jokic still put his stamp on the game with a 25-point, 19-rebound night, while Millsap feasted on Kanter. Aminu had been making life difficult for Millsap in the series, but the veteran had no such trouble with the bigger, less mobile defender. Millsap finished with his highest-scoring game of the postseason, registering 24 points and eight rebounds. When the Nuggets signed Millsap to a big three-year, $90 million deal, this was the exact type of performance they envisioned. Lillard and McCollum don't deliver The Trail Blazers' dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum has been the catalyst for so much of the team's success. Game 5 was not one of their finest performances though, and the Trail Blazers never had a chance with the performances they delivered. Together they combined for just 34 points on 14-of-47 from the field. To put that in perspective, those two have had three different performances during the playoffs where one of them alone has scored more than 34 points. Tuesday night's performance was one of the first signs that perhaps the duo is wearing down a bit from how much they've had to do this entire season. Regardless, the Blazers need much better efforts in Game 6 or their season will be over. Recap of live updates Follow below for all the live updates, news and highlights from Game 5. If you have trouble viewing the application below, please click here. How to watch Game 6 Date: Thursday, May 9 Thursday, May 9 Time: 10:30 p.m. ET 10:30 p.m. ET Location: Moda Center -- Portland, Oregon Moda Center -- Portland, Oregon TV channel: ESPN ESPN Live stats: GameTracker GameTracker Online streaming: Watch ESPN Watch ESPN Odds: N/A at this time TV listings All games will air on ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV during the postseason. Games on TNT and NBA TV can be streamed via fuboTV (try it for free).<doc-sep>DENVER — Nikola Jokic ripped a rebound from Enes Kanter late in the second quarter of Tuesday’s Game 5. The do-everything Nuggets center held on to the ball, ran the fast break and dropped it off in the frontcourt for a trailing Gary Harris, who glided in for an easy layup. Nuggets, 58-41. Trail Blazers time out. Pepsi Center, frenzied. Selfless Nuggets The play was a microcosm of a game in which the Trail Blazers couldn’t find an answer for — well — anyone. The Nuggets took turns playing star in a game of ‘pick your poison’ that resulted in an overwhelming 124-98 victory to take a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals. With the win, Denver secured a worst-case scenario that would see a Game 7 at home on Sunday with a trip to the Western Conference finals on the line. Judging from Tuesday’s result, that may not be necessary. The Nuggets have a selfless superstar in Nikola Jokic. (Getty) As four Nuggets players scored at least 16 points and six tallied double figures, Portland struggled from the floor and failed to find reliable offense from its starting unit outside of Damian Lillard. And even he was far from his best. Paul Millsap got the party started, leading all scorers with 12 points in a first quarter the Nuggets used to set the tone in taking a 31-25 lead. Murray puts on a show Late in the second, it was Jamal Murray’s turn in a display of the acrobatic athleticism that’s made him a breakout star of the playoffs on three straight Denver buckets as the Nuggets broke the game open. Another monster game from Jokic Story continues Throughout the game it was Jokic. As he has been throughout the entire playoffs while leading all remaining players in rebounds and assists — remember, he’s a center — Jokic was overwhelming in all facets of the game. By the time he fouled out with 3:50 remaining, he’d tallied 25 points, 19 rebounds and six assists. The disqualification didn’t matter. Denver led 112-90. If anything, it gave the remaining Nuggets fans who hadn’t started filing out of the Pepsi Center confident in victory a chance to remind Jokic where their vote for MVP lies. But as good as he his, this Nuggets team isn’t just about Jokic. Malone: Passing ‘part of our culture’ At its best, it’s a team that can hit opponents from all angles while focusing on ball movement and eschewing the isolation-heavy style of teams like the Houston Rockets. Denver was at its best on Tuesday, in large part thanks to its 26-to-7 assist-to-turnover ratio. “That’s who we’ve been,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of sharing the ball. “It’s something we harp on. It’s something we practice. It’s something we preach. “That’s part of our culture. Being selfless, making plays for a teammate and playing for each other, not just with each other.” Murray’s remarkable assist-to-turnover line Murray personified that philosophy on Tuesday, picking his spots to attack the basket while acting as a calculated, effective steward of the ball when it wasn’t his turn to score. His effort showed up in the box score to the tune of 18 points, nine assists and zero turnovers. Veteran presence Millsap, the 13-year veteran and one Nuggets starter with real playoff experience, looked like his former All-Star self, tallying 24 points and eight rebounds while hitting a pair of 3-pointers. “He doesn’t have emotions,” Jokic said of Millsap, explaining how the veteran’s demeanor helps ground a young team without playoff experience. “It means a lot to me, to be honest. It helps me a lot just to watch him, just to learn from him, how he deals with situations.” Millsap is the emotional antithesis of Jokic, a fiery player on the court who’s not afraid to release a roar into the Pepsi Center after a big play or step up to Myers Leonard after the Portland center hit him with a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand. Tempers reaching a boiling point as Nikola Jokic takes exception to Meyers Leonard pic.twitter.com/2Z1GtzECx6 — NBC Sports Northwest (@NBCSNorthwest) May 8, 2019 That confrontation was quickly quelled, but it put on full display the type of energy Jokic brings to the floor. Blazers looked beat from the start There was little of that kind of energy from the Blazers on Tuesday, who struggled out of the gate and never gained traction in the first game of the series that was decided by double digits. Lillard scored 22, but needed 21 shots to get there while hitting just 2-of-9 3-point attempts. C.J. McCollum was the only other Portland starter in double figures with 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the floor. As a whole, the Blazers shot 36.7 percent from the field while hitting 10-of-37 (27 percent) 3-pointers. This is a team that led the NBA in 3-point percentage during the season, shooting 37.8 percent. Altitude a factor for Portland? It’s been a grueling series for both teams through five games, especially considering the epic four-overtime Game 3. Portland made its second road trip of the series Tuesday to the mile-high air of Denver. It’s not unreasonable to wonder if the altitude had an effect on the Blazers. “I think the altitude kicks in, but for us, we’re professionals,” Lillard said. “We’ve played here a bunch of times in the regular season. We’ve played here three times now in this series. “I think, in the first quarter you feel it a little bit, then after that you pretty much feel regular.” There wasn’t much regular for the Blazers after the first quarter. But they’ve got a Game 6 at home on Thursday to regroup and try to stay alive. They’ll likely need to lean on Lillard at the Moda Center against a Denver team that’s peaking as the series reaches its climax. The Nuggets have done a good job of containing the Portland star since he dropped 39 points in Game 1. If he doesn’t put together a star performance on Thursday, there may not be a return trip to Denver in store. More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>
DENVER -- Paul Millsap scored inside while being fouled, then did something he doesn't do very often. The calm and often emotionless veteran flexed both of his arms. After four games of both teams playing virtually even basketball across the board, the Denver Nuggets followed Millsap's lead and muscled their way past the Portland Trail Blazers 124-98 Tuesday night to inch within a victory of a Western Conference finals appearance. The Nuggets lead the series 3-2. Millsap, the steady 13-year veteran, set the tone early as he has done much of this conference semifinals series. Millsap hit seven of his first 10 shots and scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half. "He was huge," Denver center Nikola Jokic said. "He set everything -- physicality, pace, offensively, defensively. He was really huge." "He's actually playing really good these playoffs," Jokic added after a long pause. "Maybe he turned on the playoff mode." When he wasn't abusing Portland's defense on the low block with an array of moves and runners, Millsap hurt Portland from outside, burying a 3-pointer while being fouled for a rare four-point play that pushed the Denver lead to 20 just before halftime. The largest lead by either team prior to Game 5 was 17, by Portland in the third quarter of a Game 2 that was decided by a mere seven points. "They like that action with Jamal Murray and Jokic a lot," Portland point guard Damian Lillard said of Millsap. "They're playing out of the corners with Will [Barton] and Gary Harris and [Malik] Beasley ... then when all else fails, you've got to guard Millsap. They'll throw him on the block, and he's a handful for guys to guard because he's in the paint, face-up jumpers, he's making 3s. In transition, you got to find him, and then he's a monster on the glass." Indeed, Millsap has gone into postseason beast mode, averaging 19 points, 9.6 rebounds and 54.5 percent shooting from the field against the Trail Blazers in this round. In Game 5, Portland tried to put center Enes Kanter on Millsap early. (Kanter, a devout Muslim, is fasting from sunrise to sunset each day for the next month in observance of Ramadan.) The Nuggets adjusted, and Millsap went 5-for-5 when guarded by Kanter in the first half. At times in Games 3 and 4, Portland tried to put Kanter on Millsap to avoid having Kanter stuck on Murray off a Jokic-Murray pick-and-roll late in games. "They tried a few things, to switch a few things up," Millsap said. "We read them pretty quickly, but most importantly, guys were locked in today." "I know they tried to be a little bit more physical with me these last two games against my counters," Millsap added. "For me, once they take something away and I can't bully them down there, get to my counters and just trust it." Nikola Jokic (15) and Paul Millsap (4) scored 30 of Denver's 66 points in the paint in Tuesday's Game 5 win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Portland not only had no answer for Millsap, there has been no stopping Jokic. After back-to-back triple-doubles, Jokic continued his postseason surge with a near 20-20. The All-Star had 25 points, 19 rebounds and 6 assists before fouling out in the fourth quarter with the game in hand. Denver ultimately outscored Portland 66-44 in the paint; the scoring margin in the paint never exceeded eight points in any of the previous four games of the series. Jokic nearly lost his cool after taking a flagrant foul 1 shove from Meyers Leonard on a drive to the basket with the Nuggets up 20 with eight minutes remaining. Jokic, though, has kept his composure this entire postseason after being ejected three times during the regular season. He credits Millsap's calm demeanor. "How I look at him, he doesn't have emotions," Jokic explained. "When things are not going good, he gets us together ... he keeps talking with us. ... He helps me a lot just watching him and just to learn from him to see how he is dealing with situations." Millsap, who played in his 99th career postseason game, was the man the young Nuggets turned to on the eve of the playoffs to ask for advice on what they were about to experience.