104-113
FINALOklahoma
City Thunder
84-22|L10: 6-4
Denver
Nuggets
57-39|L10: 5-5
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Eastern Conference
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DEN • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #27
10 months ago
Murray was a late addition to the injury report with an illness, but he played through it, and it didn’t prevent him from having a big night. He scored 11 points in the first quarter and had nine points in the decisive third quarter to help Denver keep its season alive. Murray has been able to step up in big moments in the playoffs throughout his career, and they’ll need another big game from him in Game 7 on Sunday to advance to the conference finals.
DEN • Center • #15
10 months ago
Unsurprisingly, Jokic was dominant to help keep Denver’s season alive. His 44-point effort in Game 5 wasn’t enough, and while he didn’t match that scoring total in this game, he was still able to have a big night. He also finally got past the six-assist mark, which he had done three times this series without surpassing it. That means that Jokic finally got some help from his teammates. Game 7 will be on Sunday in OKC. Expect Jokic to have a monster performance.
DEN • Power Forward and Small Forward • #32
10 months ago
They’ll have two days off before Game 7 on Sunday, so hopefully that will be enough time for Gordon to recover after he tweaked his left hamstring with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter. It will likely take a significant injury to keep Gordon off the floor for a Game 7, but if that happens, Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther would all have to step up to help fill the void.
Source: Tim MacMahon
DEN • Shooting Guard • #0
10 months ago
It took the best playoff performance of Braun’s career, but Denver was able to defend homecourt and force a Game 7. Braun set a new playoff career high for points and contributed value across the board to help keep the Nuggets’ season alive. They’ll head to OKC for the final game of this series on Sunday. Braun likely won’t repeat this type of performance, but they’ll need him at his best once again.
DEN • Shooting Guard and Small Forward • #3
10 months ago
Denver has been trying to find a solution for who to play with both Michael Porter Jr. and Russell Westbrook struggling. Well, Strawther stepped up to help force a Game 7. He has only played more than 10 minutes during this postseason in blowouts, but he was able to set a new playoff career high for points in the win. Expect Strawther to continue to play a large reserve role on Sunday as Denver looks to advance to the conference finals.
OKC • Shooting Guard and Power Forward • #8
10 months ago
JDub was able to contribute a well-rounded stat line, but he wasn’t able to have much success as a scorer. That has been the story for most of this series; Williams was great in Game 3 and was efficient in Game 2, though they didn’t need him to score much in that blowout win. However, between Games 1, 4, 5 and 6, Williams has shot below 40 percent from the field in each of them and below 30 percent in three of them. He has continued to find other ways to impact the game, but what they truly need is a better scoring performance out of him in Game 7 on Sunday.
OKC • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #2
10 months ago
SGA carried the offensive load for OKC once again in this game, but he didn’t get much help from his teammates. Gilgeous-Alexander has been unstoppable for most of this series, outside of Game 3. He has scored at least 30 points in four of the six games in this series, and this was his highest-scoring performance in Denver this season. They’ll return home for Game 7 on Sunday. In a matchup between the two MVP candidates, expect SGA to be aggressive early on and have a monster performance.
OKC • Center and Power Forward • #7
10 months ago
Holmgren finished with a double-double for the third time this series, but it wasn’t enough for the Thunder to get the win and advance to the conference finals. The box score numbers were mostly strong, though he did shoot just 1-of-3 from the free throw line for a second straight game. They’ll get a couple days off before Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Holmgren will need to continue to play well, but his main job will be trying to slow down Nikola Jokic.
DEN • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #27
10 months ago
Murray will be good to go after being a late addition to the injury report, which isn’t that surprising. It would’ve taken a significant illness for him to miss an elimination game, though the fact that he was questionable may speak to how sick he is. That could result in a poor shooting performance for him, or it could lead to a legendary tale.
Source: Denver Nuggets
DEN • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #27
10 months ago
Murray is a late addition to the injury report with an illness ahead of Thursday’s Game 6. With the Nuggets facing elimination, it seems likely that Murray will play through the illness. If not the Nuggets would be forced to rely more heavily on Russell Westbrook and Payton Watson.
DEN • Power Forward • #5
10 months ago
Tyson was a late addition to the injury report ahead of Game 4 and will miss a third straight game. Tyson hasn’t been part of the rotation, so his absence will not impact things for Denver.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Power Forward and Small Forward • #32
10 months ago
Gordon was mostly held in check on the offensive end, finishing with his fewest three-point makes of the series, the second-lowest scoring output, and no production from the free throw line. While Gordon has made several big plays down the stretch of games this postseason, he was notably quiet in Game 5, making his line feel even less spectacular. He’s performed well in Denver’s two home games this series and will need to empty the tank on Thursday in Game 6 to help the Nuggets keep their season alive.
DEN • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #27
10 months ago
Murray registered his third 20-point game of the series on Tuesday, but did so on rather inefficient shooting. A monster 13-point third quarter is where much of his production came from, which gave Denver a decent lead going into the final quarter. However, Murray cooled off down the stretch, scoring five of Denver’s 19 points in the fourth quarter. Both he and the rest of the Nuggets will want a better close to Thursday’s Game 6 if they hope to extend their season.
DEN • Center • #15
10 months ago
Jokic bounced back in a big way on Tuesday after a few inefficient shooting performances in Games 2, 3 and 4. The three-time MVP had his fingerprints all over the game on the offensive side, regaining his shooting touch and being particularly dangerous from beyond the arc. He made some contributions as a passer, but still hasn’t found a way to dominate in this series as a facilitator, not yet tallying more than six assists in any game. Even with the Nuggets receiving the inevitable bounce-back game for Jokic, it wasn’t enough for them to take control of the series. Denver will need everything it can get from Jokic in Thursday’s Game 6 if it hopes to extend the season.
OKC • Small Forward and Shooting Guard • #5
10 months ago
Well-known for his prowess on the defensive end, Dort’s offensive eruption in the fourth quarter helped the Thunder climb from out of a big hole to secure a come-from-behind win and move Oklahoma City one win closer to a trip to the conference finals. His three triples in the final frame were huge, but a late assist on a Jalen Williams three might have been the play that delivered the Thunder the victory. Dort’s double-digit outing marked his third of the series, and Oklahoma City would welcome another as it tries to close out the series on Thursday in Game 6.
OKC • Shooting Guard and Power Forward • #8
10 months ago
Williams landed in double figures in scoring for the fifth time in as many games this series. While he continued to struggle with shooting efficiency, he remained impactful as a facilitator. The fourth-year wing also delivered one of the biggest shots of Game 5 as he sank a corner three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give Oklahoma City a lead it wouldn’t surrender the rest of the way. Williams will continue to be relied upon when the Thunder head to Denver for a chance to close out the Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday.
OKC • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #2
10 months ago
Gilgeous-Alexander did it all for the Thunder on Tuesday, taking on the roles of scorer and facilitator while remaining active on the defensive end along the way. Most importantly, he was key in the final handful of blows that Oklahoma City dealt Denver down the stretch in what ended up being a dominant 34-19 fourth quarter for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist, delivered his third 30-point game of the series and will have a chance on Thursday to produce his fourth as the Thunder try to eliminate the Nuggets.
OKC • Shooting Guard • #22
10 months ago
Outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25 points), the OKC starters struggled on the offensive end. However, Wallace, Aaron Wiggins (11 points) and Alex Caruso (10 points) were able to make up for the struggles of the starting five. Wallace made his presence felt on both ends of the floor to help OKC tie this series back up and retake homecourt advantage. This was Wallace’s best game of the postseason, and he’ll look to remain productive in Game 5 in OKC on Tuesday.
OKC • Shooting Guard and Power Forward • #8
10 months ago
JDub wasn’t able to replicate his Game 3 performance on Sunday and had his worst game of the postseason. Six of his 10 points came in the final 3:01, so he was able to deliver late in the game, but 2-of-13 from the floor isn’t good enough for the All-Star. He was the only other starter other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score in double figures, so he wasn’t alone in his offensive struggles. He’ll look to bounce back at home in Game 5 on Tuesday.
DEN • Power Forward and Small Forward • #32
10 months ago
Gordon wasn’t able to replicate his same magic from Games 1 and 3, but he was able to produce a strong stat line in Sunday’s loss. Gordon has been Denver’s most consistent player in this series and has kept them afloat with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray struggling. Expect Gordon to continue to play well in Game 5 on Tuesday as Denver looks to steal another game on the road.
DEN • Shooting Guard • #0
10 months ago
This hasn’t been a great series for Braun, but he was able to contribute in this game. He scored a total of 22 points through the first three games and nearly matched that total on Sunday. Unfortunately, it was still on inefficient shooting, and this was his third straight game making less than 40 percent of his shots. Braun will need to score more efficiently if Denver is going to win this series and advance to the conference finals. He’ll look to get back on track in Game 5 on Tuesday.
DEN • Center • #15
10 months ago
It was still another rough shooting performance from Jokic, but he was much better from beyond the arc after shooting 0-for-10 in Game 3. He hit a pair of triples on Sunday, including one at the buzzer at the end of the first half. He also was more efficient with the ball in his hands in this game after turning it over eight times in Game 3. Unfortunately, none of that was enough to get the win. The series is now tied at two games each, with two of the next three games in Oklahoma City. Jokic will need to bring back his magic from Game 1 if Denver is to win this series.
OKC • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #2
10 months ago
It wasn’t a flawless performance from SGA, but it was enough to tie this series up at two games and help OKC regain homecourt advantage. Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and the Thunder outscored Denver by 11 points in the final frame. With the series tied, it will be a best-of-three mini-series moving forward to advance to the Western Conference Finals, with two of those games in Oklahoma City. Game 5 will be on Tuesday, and SGA will have to continue to lead the way for the Thunder to win this series.
DEN • Power Forward • #5
10 months ago
Tyson was added to the Nuggets’ injury report Sunday afternoon. He has officially been ruled out for Game 4. His absence will not significantly impact Denver’s rotation, as he is not guaranteed to play on most nights.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Power Forward • #5
10 months ago
Tyson is a late addition to the Nuggets’ injury report. The team announced his change in status two hours before the scheduled tip time. Tyson’s availability will have minimal impact, as he is not in the regular rotation.
Source: NBA Injury Report
OKC • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #2
10 months ago
Game 3 was interesting, as both MVP candidates struggled with their shots. After recording 30-point games in the first two games of this series, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 31.8 percent from the field and was 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. The good news for the Thunder is that nights like Friday have been far from the norm for SGA, so it’s fair to expect him to bounce back on Sunday. However, Denver’s Christian Braun deserves credit for the effort he put forth defensively to give the Nuggets a 2-1 series lead.
OKC • Center and Power Forward • #7
10 months ago
Holmgren was just 1-of-6 from three on Friday, but he recorded a double-double and finished one assist shy of a complete stat line. The slender Holmgren has recorded double-doubles in consecutive games for the second time this postseason, with the first being Games 1 and 2 of the first round. Interestingly, Oklahoma City went small to begin overtime, with Holmgren replaced by Luguentz Dort. Denver would score the first five points before Holmgren returned, subbing in for Alex Caruso, but the damage was already done. Game 4 is on Sunday afternoon, with Denver holding a 2-1 lead.
OKC • Shooting Guard and Power Forward • #8
10 months ago
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shooting 7-of-22 from the field, the Thunder needed more production from Williams. He answered the call, shooting over 50 percent from the field and recording his first 30-point game this postseason. After shooting 5-of-20 from the field in Game 1, JDub has gone 17-of-32 in Games 2 and 3. Oklahoma City will need similar production from Williams in Sunday’s Game 4, as they look to even a series they now trail 2-1.
DEN • Center • #15
10 months ago
While Jokic’s final stat line was solid, it does not tell the complete story of his performance. Not only was the three-time MVP responsible for eight turnovers, but he shot 0-of-10 from beyond the arc. The good news for Jokic is that three of his teammates scored at least 20 points, picking up the slack as Denver pulled away in overtime. While Oklahoma City defended The Joker well, he isn’t going to have nights like Friday (or Wednesday’s loss in Game 2) very often. He’ll look to extend Denver’s series lead when they host the Thunder in Game 4 on Sunday.
DEN • Small Forward • #1
10 months ago
While Porter struggled in the first two games of this series, he deserves credit for fighting through the left shoulder injury he suffered during the first round. MPJ found his shot on Friday, shooting 5-of-6 from three and 70 percent from the field overall. His performance helped the Nuggets compensate for Nikola Jokic shooting 0-of-10 from three, giving the team a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is on Sunday afternoon.
DEN • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #27
10 months ago
After being thoroughly embarrassed in Game 2, the Nuggets rebounded impressively on Friday. Murray led four players with at least 20 points and shot 3-of-5 from the field in the first quarter to help get the home team off to a good start. He’s scored at least 21 points in Denver’s wins in this series and is averaging nearly 22 points per game during the playoffs. Murray and the Nuggets will look to extend their series lead when they host Game 4 on Sunday.
DEN • Power Forward and Small Forward • #32
10 months ago
Gordon’s growth as a shooter has been impressive to watch. During the regular season, he shot a career-best 43.6 percent from three on 3.4 attempts per game. That’s carried over into the postseason, with Gordon shooting 4-of-6 from deep in Game 3. His biggest shot occurred with 2.4 seconds remaining in regulation, as a corner three-pointer forced overtime. The Nuggets would outscore Oklahoma City by an 11-2 margin in the extra period to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is on Sunday afternoon.
DEN • Center • #15
10 months ago
This was Jokic’s worst performance of the postseason, and it came to an end in the third quarter. He fouled out with 1:17 left in the third, which brought his night to a close after he played 32 minutes. OKC was up 41 points when Jokic fouled out, so his night may have been close to over anyway. Jokic dominated Game 1, and the Thunder adjusted. Denver will need other players to step up if they want to have a chance of winning this series, but Jokic will also need to be better than he was in this game.
DEN • Small Forward • #1
10 months ago
MPJ was slightly better in the second half, as all eight of his points came in the third quarter. However, the game was already out of hand at that point after a terrible first half for both Porter Jr. and the Nuggets. MPJ shot 1-of-8 in Game 1, and they’ll need him to be much better moving forward. The series will now shift back to Denver, and MPJ will look to get back on track during the two home games before the series heads back to Oklahoma City.
DEN • Point Guard and Small Forward • #4
10 months ago
Despite an ugly first half for Denver, Westbrook was productive and entered the break with 15 points. He didn’t add much in the second half, though he sat the entire fourth quarter, still it was enough to lead the Nuggets in scoring. Russ has been awesome over Denver’s last five games, and his continued success will be key to the Nuggets winning this series. Though this game was ugly, they still have homecourt advantage in this series. They’ll look to keep it in Game 3 on Friday.
OKC • Center and Power Forward • #7
10 months ago
After struggling in Game 1, Holmgren bounced back and recorded the fourth postseason triple-double of his career, with three of those coming this season. Aside from Game 3 against Memphis, Holmgren has swatted at least two shots in every game during these playoffs, which was a trend that continued in this game despite him only playing 26 minutes. Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein (14/8/5/1/1) will look to continue to limit Nikola Jokic (17 points) in Game 3 on Friday.
OKC • Shooting Guard and Power Forward • #8
10 months ago
Williams was criticized for his poor performance in the Thunder’s Game 1 loss, but he responded well in OKC’s blowout victory. He was on pace for a bigger night, but he only played 26 minutes and sat the entire fourth quarter due to the lopsided score. He shot the ball much better after shooting 5-of-20 in Game 1, and he’ll need that success to carry over into Game 3 in Denver on Friday.
OKC • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #2
10 months ago
Aside from Game 4 against Memphis, SGA hasn’t been his typical uber-efficient self during the playoffs so far. Well, that changed in Game 2, which contributed to a dominant win for Oklahoma City. This was his fourth straight 30-point game, and that helped OKC bounce back from a two-point loss in Game 1. He only played 30 minutes and sat the entire fourth quarter, but SGA did plenty of damage when he was on the floor. The series will now shift to Denver, and OKC will need to win a road game to retake homecourt advantage in this series. Game 3 will be on Friday.
OKC • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #9
10 months ago
After scoring 13 points or less in all four games of Oklahoma City’s first-round series, Caruso hit the ground running in Round 2. His improved production did not result in a victory for the home team, but Caruso shooting 5-of-9 from three was an encouraging development. Against the Grizzlies, he shot 5-of-13 from beyond the arc. Add in the overall stat line, and this may be a series in which Caruso can have an added impact on both ends of the floor. Game 2 is on Wednesday night, with the Thunder needing a win to even the series.
OKC • Center and Power Forward • #55
10 months ago
Hartenstein was solid as a scorer and rebounder, but Monday’s game was another instance in which the Thunder decided to go small in crunch time. Hartenstein was an observer from the bench, while Oklahoma City decided to use Chet Holmgren (12/6/2/1/4) as the center with Alex Caruso entering the lineup. Holmgren had a chance to extend Oklahoma City’s lead to three with 9.5 seconds remaining, but his two misses were followed by Aaron Gordon’s game-winning three. Hartenstein’s playing time will be fine, but the way he’s used in this series will be worth watching, especially when Nikola Jokic is as dominant as he was in Game 1. The Thunder host Game 2 on Wednesday.
OKC • Shooting Guard and Power Forward • #8
10 months ago
While Williams recorded a complete stat line and provided solid value as a rebounder and defender, he did not shoot the ball well. After making 54.2 percent of his attempts in the first round, JDub shot 25 percent from the field in Game 1. While Oklahoma City still had a chance to win the game, they will need more efficient scoring from Williams to win this series. He’ll look to get untracked when the Thunder host Game 2 on Wednesday.
OKC • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #2
10 months ago
Gilgeous-Alexander had a big night at the office, recording a complete stat line and surpassing the 30-point mark for the third straight game. Unfortunately for him and the Thunder, the MVP favorite’s performance was not good enough to get Oklahoma City the victory. While SGA has not been a prolific three-point shooter, he’s struggled during the postseason. After shooting 7-of-28 from beyond the arc in four games against the Grizzlies, he was only 2-of-6 in Monday’s series opener. Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will attempt to even the series at one game all on Wednesday.
DEN • Point Guard and Small Forward • #4
10 months ago
Playing against the franchise that drafted him, Westbrook was excellent in Game 1. He was efficient offensively, and while he only had two assists, one was the biggest of the game. Westbrook found Aaron Gordon on the left wing in the final seconds, and AG’s three-pointer was the difference in Denver’s 121-119 victory. Westbrook’s performance helped Denver compensate for Michael Porter Jr. (2/4/0/1/1) shooting 1-of-8 from the field. Game 2 is on Wednesday night.
DEN • Point Guard and Shooting Guard • #27
10 months ago
Murray was a bit off in Game 1, but he provided solid value in the rebound and assist categories to help Denver steal the win. While he averaged 21.0 points in three games against the Thunder during the regular season, the Nuggets guard shot just 40.4 percent from the field. Given the perimeter defenders at Oklahoma City’s disposal, Murray’s efficiency may be lower than it has been on most nights this season. He’s good enough to still provide solid value and contribute to winning. Game 2 is on Wednesday.
DEN • Center • #15
10 months ago
Jokic may have recorded seven turnovers on Monday, but he still did something few have done in postseason history. He’s the fourth player to record a stat line of at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and five assists, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain. Few teams have an answer for the three-time MVP, so there’s little shame in giving up a gaudy stat line to The Joker. He and the Nuggets will look to take a 2-0 series lead on Wednesday.
Source: Andres Alvarez
DEN • Power Forward and Small Forward • #32
10 months ago
For the second time this postseason, the Nuggets won a game thanks to Gordon’s heroics. While it was a dunk that sealed Denver’s Game 4 win over the Clippers, the veteran forward hit a three-pointer with 2.9 seconds remaining to knock off the Thunder. Gordon shot 3-of-6 from three, and his confidence as a shooter has improved substantially this season. During the regular season, he shot a career-high 43.6 percent on 3.4 attempts per game. Gordon and the Nuggets will look to extend their series lead on Wednesday.
Source: NBA
OKC • Center and Power Forward • #13
10 months ago
Dieng has not appeared in a game since March 15, when he strained his left calf against the Pistons. His availability will not impact the Thunder rotation, as he was not logging consistent minutes before the calf injury.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Shooting Guard • #0
10 months ago
Braun has been solid throughout the postseason, but he had his highest-scoring performance of the series in the closeout win. This was also a new playoff career-high for him. Braun has enjoyed a breakout season, and that has continued into the postseason. He has solidified his role as a starter beyond this season, which bodes well for fantasy basketball. He’ll have a tall task in the second round of the playoffs in a matchup with the top-seeded Thunder.
DEN • Power Forward and Small Forward • #32
10 months ago
Gordon led a balanced attack for the Nuggets to help them advance to the next round. He was one of six players to score in double figures for Denver, which included all five starters. Gordon had a strong series, and they’ll need him to continue to play at a high level against Oklahoma City in the second round. The Nuggets went 3-0 in the first round when Gordon scored at least 20 points.
DEN • Point Guard and Small Forward • #4
10 months ago
There were plenty of highs and lows for Westbrook throughout the series, but with the season on the line, he rose to the occasion. He had some big moments in the fourth quarter to solidify the win for Denver and eliminate his former team. Despite what social media may say, Westbrook is still more than capable of making an impact in the playoffs, and they will need him to produce like he did in this game during their matchup with the top-seeded Thunder in the second round. For now, Russ gets the last laugh after both Los Angeles teams were eliminated in the first round.