Aaron Gordon shocked everyone by deciding to play in Game 7. This was good news for the Denver Nuggets.
Gordon came out hot, despite the injury. He scored three points and grabbed five rebounds in the first eight minutes of the game, helping to give his Nuggets an 11-point lead.
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After Gordon took his seat, the Oklahoma City Thunder battled back. Their aggressive defense and smart offensive play helped reduce Denver’s lead to five at the end of the first quarter, with a score of 26-21.
Related: Breaking: Aaron Gordon will play in Game 7
The Thunder began the second quarter on fire. They scored the first 11 points and were on a 13-0 run dating back to the first quarter.
This changed when Gordon returned to the game and hit a three to end the run. Gordon, despite the injury, gutted it out for eight points and 11 rebounds for the game.
Despite Gordon’s efforts, the second quarter belonged to the Thunder as they put on a defensive masterclass. After one half of play, OKC led Denver 60-46.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 17 first-half points, while Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 17 of his own. The second half remained similar to the second quarter: smothering defense by OKC.
The Thunder simply were the better team in this game. No matter what the Nuggets tried on offense, the Thunder’s incredible defense shut it down.
OKC advances to the Western Conference Finals with their 125-93 victory over the Nuggets. The Thunder were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s 35 points, while Jokic scored 20 for the Nuggets. OKC will now face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Conference Finals and this certainly will be an exciting series.
