With their backs against the wall, the Denver Nuggets held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-107 on Thursday night to avoid elimination and force a Game 7.
The Thunder were up by 10 points with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. But the Nuggets hit a flurry of baskets to mount the double-digit comeback. Oklahoma City then went cold from the floor in the final frame as MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander battled foul trouble.
Jamal Murray, who was questionable with an illness ahead of Thursday night’s game, willed Denver to victory with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Nikola Jokić added 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Christian Braun tallied a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double and Julian Strawther was an X-factor off the bench. The former Gonzaga guard scored 15 points, including two 3-pointers, to close out the third frame with Jokić not in the game.
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For the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander notched 32 points and six assists. Chet Holmgren recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Game 7 is Sunday in Oklahoma City, with a conference finals berth on the line.
Joker DIME 🫣
25 PTS, 14 REB, 8 AST and counting… https://t.co/OTAgZlJcFs pic.twitter.com/2qb9GywwYc
— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2025
Nuggets earn critical rest after stellar performance
For the first time in over two weeks, Denver will have more than one day of rest between games. The Nuggets have been running on fumes for much of this series because they went seven games against the LA Clippers, and then boarded a plane that Sunday and started the series against the Thunder that Monday.
“Guys looked more happy to have two days off than to be going to a Game 7,” Denver interim head coach David Adelman said.
That’s going to be important. Aaron Gordon grabbed at his hamstring late in the fourth quarter of Game 6. The Nuggets can ill-afford to be without him on Sunday, or to even have a hobbled version of him. Adelman said the concern level is “high.”
The Nuggets also get some rest for Murray and Jokić. Denver knew it had to come up with one win on Thursday night, and the Nuggets were able to come up with that win and give themselves some much-needed rest. — Tony Jones, NBA staff writer
Thunder fall flat with pivotal chance on the line
In Game 6, with a golden opportunity to advance to their first conference finals in a decade, the Thunder were flat.
There were a myriad of lead changes on Thursday evening, but instead of Oklahoma City flexing its 68-win muscles, it was Denver who played with necessary desperation to extend its season and keep the series dream alive.
Jalen Williams, who struggled yet again to be a consistent second option, finished with just six points on 3-for-16 shooting, despite leading all players in assists. At the other end, Murray was in constant attack mode. Williams can’t afford another game like that if the Thunder have any realistic hopes of getting to a conference final.
Through six games, it’s clear that the Nuggets have more offensive weapons. If Oklahoma City can’t match Denver’s firepower on Sunday, it’ll need to be tactically sound in all phases of gameplay to advance. — Kelly Iko, NBA staff writer
(Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
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