It’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
Despite initially being listed as questionable due to a hamstring injury, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is available to play. He’ll get the start.
The Thunder-Nuggets winner will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals, with Game 1 set for Tuesday night in either OKC or Denver.
Here what you need to know about the Thunder-Nuggets game:
Watch OKC vs Denver Game 7 live with Fubo
Thunder vs Nuggets live score updates in Game 7 of NBA Playoffs
The Thunder started and finished the second quarter on big runs.
Early in the frame the Thunder took advantage of the Nuggets’ starters largely being on the bench. Oklahoma City got out to an 8-0 spurt that gave it its first lead of the game.
Included in the run were four points by Jalen Williams, who has struggled much of the series. He drove to the basket on both occasions, making a bucket on the first and drawing a foul on the second.
But after taking a timeout, the Nuggets brought back their big three and a back-and-forth game ensued for much of the remainder of the half. The biggest lead by either team was five — until the last three minutes.
The Thunder went on another run, this one 17-5 to finish the quarter, and again, Williams was huge. He had 11 of the 17 points.
He finished the half with a team-high 17 points on 8-of-12-shooting.
Nikola Jokic leads the Nuggets with 17 points, nine of which have come at the free-throw line.
—Jenni Carlson, Columnist
After a 17-6 Denver run midway through the first quarter, the Thunder closed the gap, shaving the Nuggets’ lead to five, 26-21, to close the quarter. Oklahoma City forced four turnovers, with Alex Caruso in Nikola Jokic’s shorts, to offset the Nugget’s rim activity. Denver shot nine free throws (and made six), in part with some truly preventable Thunder fouls.
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
Jokic’s fifth and sixth FTs here with 6:25 left in the first.
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
Mark Daigneault looked at the sea of reporters as he sat down for his pregame press conference.
“Nervous?” the OKC head coach asked with a grin.
Most people inside Paycom Center probably will be on Sunday, as OKC and Denver duke it out in Game 7 with a trip to the Western Conference Finals on the line.
It’s a huge test for the young Thunder, which is tasked with closing out a three-time MVP in Nikola Jokic and the more experienced Nuggets.
But Daigneault didn’t reveal any nerves of his own. He views the must-win game a different way.
“I’m certainly excited to see us play,” Daigneault said. “It’s a great experience for us to go through together. There’s no team I’d rather be going through it with than this one.”
—Justin Martinez, Staff writer
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will through pregame warmups to see if he will play in Game 7 on Sunday.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Gordon suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain toward the end Denver’s series-extending Game 6 win on Thursday. Charania also stated that in normal cases Gordon would need several weeks to recover.
“(Aaron)’s going to go through the process and see if he can give us something,” Denver coach David Adelman said. “If he can’t go, or if he goes and he can’t continue, we have plenty of guys that can step up.”
Gordon has had a career-best postseason for the Nuggets, averaging playoff highs of 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc across 13 games.
— Jordan Davis, Staff writer
What time is Thunder vs Nuggets NBA game today?
- Date: Sunday, May 18
- Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
- Where: Paycom Center in OKC
The Thunder vs Nuggets game starts at 2:30 p.m. CT Sunday from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
What channel is Thunder vs Nuggets on today in NBA Playoffs?
- TV: ABC
- How to watch online: Fubo (free trial)
- Radio: WWLS 98.1 FM
The Thunder vs Nuggets game will be broadcast on ABC. It can be streamed on Fubo and ESPN+.
Thunder vs. Nuggets playoff schedule
All times are Central Time (CT)
Thunder vs. Nuggets betting odds
Odds via BetMGM as of Saturday, May 17
Odds: Thunder by 8.5
Over/under: 213.5
Moneyline: OKC -325 | Denver +260
Justin Martinez: OKC 116, Denver 110
There are no more surprises this late in the series. Both teams know what to expect, and it’ll come down to which one rises to the occasion. I’m going with OKC. The Thunder has the advantage of playing this must-win game at home, where it’ll get a huge boost from a packed Paycom Center crowd. OKC is also shooting 37.3% from deep at home these playoffs compared to 26.5% on the road. I’m predicting the Thunder to punch first and ride that momentum to a Game 7 win.
Thunder vs. Nuggets injury updates
Thunder: Nikola Topic (left knee surgery) is out.
Nuggets: DaRon Holmes II (right Achilles tendon repair) is out. Hunter Tyson (right ankle sprain) is questionable.
Thunder vs. Nuggets highlights in Game 7 of Western Conference semifinals
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