Aaron Gordon scored the wining three-pointer with four seconds left as the Denver Nuggets stunned the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
For the second time in the playoffs this season, Gordon was the hero for Denver with a clutch score to take home court advantage away from the Thunder.
“We’ve been through a lot with this group,” Gordon said. “We’ve come from behind in plenty of games. It’s not necessarily what we’re trying to do, or what we want to do. But we know we’ve been in that position. We have a lot of poise in this group. A lot of grit.”
NEEDED TO SEE THIS AGAIN pic.twitter.com/AGLUldfoGq
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 6, 2025
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Jokic hails matchwinner Gordon
Nikola Jokic poured in 42 points and pulled down 22 rebounds in a brilliant display but was happy to pass the limelight over to Gordon.
“He is the soul of this team,” Jokic said. “He probably doesn’t get as much respect as he deserves. But I think he doesn’t need it.”
Oklahoma will wonder how they head into Game 2 behind after squandering a nine-point advantage over the final three minutes.
But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 33 points, is relishing the opportunity to right the wrongs of their final quarter meltdown.
He said: “We’re going to find out what we’re made of, what we’re really made of. Nobody expected it to be smooth sailing this whole journey. No journey in life is, and we know that.
“Today’s a bump in the road – unexpected. No one expects to lose, especially that way, but it’s the game of life. So it’s about how you respond to getting knocked down.”
Blame me, says coach Daigneault
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was happy to take his share of the responsibility.
He said: “I can do a better job of getting us organized and getting us quality looks.
”Then down the other end, I thought some of the fouls that put them on the line without using the clock obviously helped them get back into it. So it was both ends, it was everybody. We’re all in it together. We need to execute better. I need to coach better. They need to execute the plan better, and we just need to be a better team in Game 2.
“We have to embrace the struggle of the playoffs. We have to embrace the adversity of the playoffs. The playoffs are a mountain to climb, so it’s not going to be easy for anybody.”
