The Denver Nuggets hit the road to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semis on Monday night, and they put up a good fight. The Thunder are the top seed in the Western Conference, so they are heavily favored over the Nuggets. Denver has put up a good fight in Game 1, but a flagrant foul by Nikola Jokic didn't help the team's chances. However, a heroic shot by Aaron Gordon in the final seconds lifted the Nuggets to a 121-119 win.
Nikola Jokic was trying to get the rim while being guarded by Lu Dort, and he swung his elbow at Dort's head. Dort went down on the play, and Jokic was given a flagrant.
Nikola Jokic elbowed Luguentz Dort in the head on this play. The Joker was assessed a flagrant foul.
Good or bad call? 🤔pic.twitter.com/pr5w3iUBHd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 6, 2025
This game delivered in every way as the Nuggets would now go away. After going up by as many as eight points in the first half, Denver lost control a bit in the second quarter, and the Thunder were in control after that.
Article Continues BelowThe Thunder found a way to erase the early deficit, and they led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, and OKC took a 10-point lead into the locker room.
For the entire third quarter, it looked like the Thunder were on the brink of pulling away, but the Nuggets just wouldn't go away. Denver was trailing by five points heading into the fourth, but the Thunder continued to hold a comfortable lead for most of the quarter. Then, the Nuggets came back and set up an exciting finish.
Denver was able to cut the lead down to one point multiple times in the final minute, but the Thunder held on to the lead until the final seconds. Chet Holmgren missing two free throws kept the door open for the Nuggets, and Aaron Gordon connected on a three-pointer with under five seconds remaining to give Denver the massive Game 1 victory.
The Thunder will look to bounce back in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The two teams will get underway at 8:30 CT from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, and the game will be airing on TNT, truTV and Max.