The Denver Nuggets surprised the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first game of their second-round playoff series on Monday night, with Aaron Gordon sinking a decisive three-pointer just 2.8 seconds before the final buzzer. Despite leading comfortably for most of the match, the Thunder watched as Denver made a fierce comeback in the closing three minutes. Nikola Jokić delivered an extraordinary performance, scoring 42 points and grabbing 22 rebounds to secure the win for the Nuggets. The two teams are scheduled to meet again for Game 2 on Wednesday night.
The Thunder had breezed through the first round, easily sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies. Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled with his shooting in that series, he still managed to lead his team with an average of 27.8 points per game. Gilgeous-Alexander aims to guide the Thunder back to the conference finals for the first time since 2016.
In contrast, the Nuggets faced a tougher challenge in their first round, needing all seven games to edge out the Los Angeles Clippers. Jokić was exceptional, averaging a triple-double throughout the series with 24.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists. Jamal Murray also contributed significantly, with an average of 22.9 points per game.
This marks Denver’s sixth appearance in the second round over the past seven years. Their journey to this stage came after a coaching change just days before the regular season concluded. Interim coach David Adelman has already accumulated more postseason wins than he had during the regular season, which speaks volumes about his impact on the team’s performance.
The playoff schedule for the Thunder and the Nuggets is as follows:
– Game 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119 (Denver leads 1-0)
– Game 2: Wednesday, May 7 | Thunder vs. Nuggets | 9:30 p.m., TNT/Max
– Game 3: Friday, May 9 | Nuggets vs. Thunder | 10 p.m., ESPN/fubo
– Game 4: Sunday, May 11 | Nuggets vs. Thunder | 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
– Game 5: Tuesday, May 13 | Thunder vs. Nuggets | Time/TV TBD
– Game 6: Thursday, May 15 | Nuggets vs. Thunder | Time/TV TBD
– Game 7: Sunday, May 18 | Thunder vs. Nuggets | Time/TV TBD
Additionally, for Game 2, the odds are set with the Thunder favored at -11, and the over/under is 230.5. Series odds currently favor the Thunder at -300, while the Nuggets sit at +245. CBS Sports will continue to provide updates throughout the Thunder vs. Nuggets series.
With the thrilling conclusion of Game 1, basketball fans can anticipate an exciting matchup in Game 2, as both teams will be looking to assert themselves in this tightly contested series.