Nikola Jokić accumulates 29 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists against the Thunder in match 6.
Denver – For six games, the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder provided to everyone that everyone wanted in the semi-finals of the Western Conference. And now a bonus – a match 7.
This was secure with another tense and dramatic competition, when the Nuggets extended the series with a 119-107 victory on Thursday. Now comes the dessert after the main dish.
What the Nuggets showed to Ball Arena is the grain of a former champion and an obstinate desire to stay alive. They also showed a way to keep an advance in the fourth quarter, which stuck the last competitions to them.
They had too Nikola Jokić, a verification performance of Jamal Murray and a surprise player on the section. As for thunder? OKC could never tear the total control of this game, never increased the possibility of closing a team that seemed more desperate.
And so, it’s lit. Match 7 on Sunday (3:30 he, ABC) will include a pair of MVP KIA NBA finalists and, most likely, another cannot miss 48 minutes if the current model is true.
Here are five points to remember from an effort to rescue the season by the Nuggets:
1. Murray is sick with
When he woke up on Thursday morning, Murray had a difficult feeling – not on the game, but his availability for that. Murray sent a SOS to the Nuggets and suddenly, a few hours before the start of match 6, he was registered in the injury report as questionable with an illness. He took medication, had an IV.
It was an elimination game for Denver and Murray, as its story shows, is up to it. Previously, in these situations, he collected on average 28 points, five rebounds and five assists. This time: 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Even beet, he crossed 42 minutes, the highest of the team and two nights removed to play the whole fourth quarter, and do not collapse.
Has he already thought he would not play?
“No.”
Why so confident about it?
“The team needs you.”
Murray was his usual self, bouncing on screens and defenders, finding a rhythm, giving help to the Joker and finally forcing a match 7. This is an additional proof that Murray is one of the best players in the league in the playoffs. It lacks an appearance of stars but always saves its best when it really matters.
Registered as questionable, Jamal Murray goes through the disease to help Denver stay alive.
2. No fourth flop by nuggets
During the two previous games, the Nuggets took over six and eight points in the fourth quarter and could not cash. Greet the thunder for that, but at the same time, Denver condemned bad shot and errors.
So when their advance entered the fourth row on Thursday, no one has held it for acquired. The acting coach David Adelman also knew that he had to ration the minutes for Jokić (who played the whole last match of the second half) as well as (and perhaps above all) for Murray.
“The last game, I kicked by not taking one of them,” said Adelman. “This game, I had four dead time and it allows you to control your substitutions.”
He was able to stretch these dead times to give a few minutes to relax, and the nuggets did not suffer while they were out of the ground. There were a few possessions that were botched, but OKC never slipped closer to eight in the last nine minutes. And part of this was due to …
3. Strawberries intensified
In the first five games of this series, Julian Strawther played a total of 30 minutes – 14 in service of ugliness during an eruption of match 2, and not at all in match 3. Essentially, it was a bench ornament while the nuggets were strongly leaned over beginners.
Well, with the players who stop and the series extending longer, Adelman had no choice but to find someone – anyone – of his bench who could contribute. Strawther has not disappointed.
Given the situation, it was perhaps the best game in the career of the second-year swingman: 15 points, all in the second half, which allowed the Nuggets to relieve Jokić’s burden. His 3 points were particularly economical in game when he was running 3-in-4 from Deep.
“We have nourished his energy,” said Murray. “Super proud of him.”
Strawther ordered almost 20 minutes of playing time, almost corresponding to its total combined of the five previous games, while falling just two points from all its total in the playoffs.
“I understood the mission,” he said. “I have to do it again on Sunday.”
For once, the Nuggets did not give in because of their bench. And the strawberry is right – Denver needs a reminder.
4. The inconsistency of Jalen Williams continues
His roller coaster ride in this series is a bit of a mystery since Williams had a season in small groups that resulted in his first appearance to the stars. And yet he was not this player every night. More like every two evenings – if that.
When OKC needed a co-star for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 points), Williams disappeared. His night was somewhat summarized when he made a band and had a fourth quarter -breakdown staging – only to blow up the lay -up even with the defense that dragged him.
All in all, Williams only drew 3 for 16, scoring only six points. He worked in other areas; His defense was healthy (three interceptions) and he delivered 10 assists. However, it only draws 33% in total in the series, 21% of Deep and had only one real impact match (32 points in the defeat of match 3).
Here are some of his shooting matches: 5 for 20, 5 for 14, 2 for 13, 3 for 16.
“I am injured this evening not to take any blows,” said Williams. “I arrived in the places where I wanted to go, they did not enters. This is how basketball works. “
5. Will Gordon be a blow for match 7?
Aaron Gordon spent a difficult night. He never established flows, ending with only five points and seven rebounds while sending nervous moments through the crowd when he was stripped on the ground open by Alex Caruso in the last minutes.
The Nuggets have not lost the game on this game, but did they lose Gordon? He immediately reached his left hamstrings. Fortunately, he came with 1:40 to play in the fourth. Since he did not play much longer, it was difficult to assess how serious it was.
But when a player reached like that, it’s never a good thing, especially this deep in the season. (Simply ask warriors Stephen Curry.)
“I feel good,” said Gordon. “We will see. I will start the recovery process now and make sure I prepare for match 7.”
The Nuggets hope that the healing powers of Murray undress on his teammate. Gordon is obviously such an important player, especially in these qualifying series, where he has two match winners and a third blow which forced overtime.
Here is good news for him and Denver – The Nuggets will have two days of rest between the matches for the first time since April 27 to 28, during their opening series with the Clippers. Since then, they have played both evenings, with trips.
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Shaun Powell covered the NBA for over 25 years. You can send him an email Here, find his archives here and follow it X.
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