After going down 3-1 in their first-round series against the Utah Jazz, the Denver Nuggets pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in team history and won Game 7 to secure their ticket to the second round of the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic led the way for Denver with 30 points as the team eked out a low-scoring 80-78 victory. The Serbian big man also recorded 14 rebounds and four assists in a game that went to the wire.
The Nuggets were up 14 at the end of the first half, but Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert brought the Jazz back to life and even helped the team take the lead early in the fourth quarter.
Jokic unarguably had the biggest play of the day, banking the game-winning shot with less than 30 seconds left on the clock. Guarded by Rudy Gobert, The Joker showed off his hook shot to give the Nuggets the lead for good.
Mike Conley had the chance to at least tie the game, but he committed a costly turnover in the final 14 seconds of play. While he was able to get the ball back, his last-second 3-point attempt bounced off the rim.
Aside from Jokic, Jamal Murray chipped in 17 points. Michael Porter Jr. was also huge for the Nuggets, adding 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals off the bench.
For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell went off in the second half and finished with 22 points. Rudy Gobert had 19 markers and 18 boards.
Both teams struggled from deep as defense spelled the game. In the end, it was that one made shot from The Joker that made the difference. The Nuggets finished with a 31-of-83 shooting clip, while the Jazz ended up 30-of-79.
Michael Malone's squad now moves on to the second round where they will face the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clips finished their first round a bit early after handling the Dallas Mavericks in six epic games.