Nikola Jokić put the Denver Nuggets in a position to win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, and Aaron Gordon finished the job.
Jokić fueled a second-half comeback against the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals with 42 points and 22 rebounds before Gordon hit a game-winning three in the final seconds to give Denver a 121-119 win.
The shot from Gordon marks his second game-winner of the playoffs after his buzzer-beating dunk in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Gordon finished with 22 points and 14 boards.
The three from Gordon was spectacular, but the Nuggets wouldn’t have been in the game had it not been for Jokić. The MVP candidate had 18 points in the fourth quarter alone to help erase a second-half deficit.
After the win, fans praised Jokić for sparking the comeback and Gordon for sealing the win in the final seconds.
While it was just the first game of the series, the Nuggets looked like the best version of themselves down the stretch and got a shot of momentum with Gordon’s game winner.
Denver will look to ride the momentum of the game-winning shot into Game 2 on Wednesday.
