- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 469,485
- Reaction score
- 45
You must be registered for see images attach
DENVER — Getting deeper into the paint with each dribble, Nikola Jokic backed Chet Holmgren in the post deep enough inside the paint to find a window. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's bet to double-team failed as Julian Strawther knocked down a corner 3-pointer to seal the result.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter a do-or-die Game 7. The Denver Nuggets kept their season alive with a 119-107 Game 6 win to tie the Round 2 series at 3-3.
The Thunder knew they would get the Nuggets' best punch and delivered early on. Jamal Murray looked like his prime form with fast buckets. Denver's role players hit their outside shots. They held a 31-28 lead after the first quarter.
After the initial shock, the Thunder shook it off and returned to their style of basketball. It felt like they were about to break it open with a 21-8 run. The league's best defense snatched the ball every other possession out of Denver's hands and got to the fastbreak. OKC led by as many as 12 points.
And then Gilgeous-Alexander got into foul trouble. He picked up his fourth as he fought with Jokic in the post. The Thunder subbed him out to avoid a deadly fifth foul before the first half. The decision allowed Denver a strong finish to the half with 12 straight points.
The Thunder's saving grace was Lu Dort's corner 3-pointer at the buzzer. That put them up 61-58 at halftime. A missed opportunity by OKC as it felt like it would cruise to a double-digit halftime lead and firm control of the contest. Instead, Denver was rejuvenated with life.
The second half saw the Nuggets carry their momentum. Meanwhile, the Thunder's offense went ice-cold. Gilgeous-Alexander kept waiting for his teammates to show up. Instead, Williams went quiet. A 17-6 Denver run to close out the frame was the final touches of a 32-point frame. They had a 90-82 lead after three quarters.
For the third straight game, the Thunder were in a hole entering the fourth quarter. This time, though, their luck ran out. The Nuggets kept a healthy distance on the scoreboard. The Thunder never seriously threatened to mount a comeback as Denver role players delivered killer blows to OKC.
The Thunder shot 47% from the field and went 11-of-40 (27.5%) from 3. They shot 10-of-16 on free throws. They had 25 assists on 43 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an efficient 32 points. Williams had an ugly six points. Chet Holmgren tallied a 19-point double-double. Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace each scored 10 points.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets shot 47% from the field and went 12-of-32 (37.5%) from 3. They shot 27-of-32 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 40 baskets. Five Nuggets players scored double-digit points.
Jokic finished with 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Murray had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Christian Braun stepped up with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and five assists. Strawther had a surprise 15 points off the bench. Michael Porter Jr. battled through 10 points.
This was about as uncharacteristic as the Thunder have looked the entire NBA playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander did enough to win, but the rest of the squad struggled to show up ala last year's run. The Nuggets left it all on the court to ensure their season didn't end as Jokic and his teammates had a lights-out performance.
Now the Thunder head back to OKC for a Game 7. As the sports cliche goes, those are the two biggest words in sports. They didn't play up to par against a team fighting for their lives, but will get a chance at redemption in a do-or-die scenario. The entire sports world will tune in as the winner moves on to the Western Conference Finals.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
You must be registered for see images attach
Keeping the Thunder within striking distance, Gilgeous-Alexander was OKC's sole source of buckets. Too many stretches where he walked up the ball and had to break down his defender for his looks. That doomed the Thunder in last year's playoffs and has doomed them to the brink of elimination this year.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting, six assists and three rebounds. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 8-of-11 on free throws.
This was the best Gilgeous-Alexander has looked since the historic Game 2 blowout. He easily got to his spots and killed Denver's zone with mid-range baskets and drives to the rim. A whistle-friendly crew helped him get to his regular-season numbers at the free-throw line.
Alas, that also came to bite the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul as he fought for positioning against Jokic. Gulp. That forced OKC to check him out for the final 89 seconds of the first half. A lot went wrong, but you can pinpoint that stretch as where they lost the game to the Nuggets.
By the time Gilgeous-Alexander returned to the floor, the Thunder had devolved an eight-point lead to just three. Game on as Denver took advantage of his absence. He tried to carry OKC to the finish line with an 18-point second half, but you can't win one on five. Ask Jokic.
It's been an inconsistent playoff run for Gilgeous-Alexander, but he did enough to secure the closeout win. Maybe he could've been more selfish and emptied the tank with more shot attempts, but that's never been his style. He now prepares for the biggest game of his NBA career with Game 7.
Jalen Williams: F
You must be registered for see images attach
Snatching the ball from Braun, Williams had nothing between himself and the basket. The Thunder needed the transition bucket as a last-gasp effort for a comeback. Instead, the 24-year-old's dunk attempt ricocheted off the rim. Sheesh. Talk about a lowlight that encapsulated your night.
Williams finished with six points on 3-of-16 shooting, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He shot 0-of-4 from 3. He also had three steals and a block.
The social-media-savvy start will be better off staying away from his phone. The Thunder fanbase has lit their torch and sharpened their pitchforks. They've made Williams the face of this frustrating loss. Outside of Game 3, he's been unreliable as a second scorer.
It lurked in the background this playoff series, but was plastered on your face tonight. You couldn't ignore Williams' struggles as the Thunder offense went through more dry spells and couldn't break Denver's zone defense. The drives to the basket were empty trips and the jumper looked skittish.
The biggest question mark about their title odds was whether Williams can step up as their second-best scorer. That's been a resounding no. He'll have one more chance to change that in Game 7. It'll be his biggest career game that can go a long way with how he's nationally perceived.
Chet Holmgren: B-minus
You must be registered for see images attach
Putting the ball on the deck, Holmgren had some of his best finishes of the playoff series in this Game 6 loss. Alas, it went to waste. The 23-year-old needed to complement his fancy drives to the basket with good outside shooting on decent looks.
Instead, the jumper was shaky as Denver invited him to shoot from the outside. That's been a theme in these playoffs. After being one of the better outside shooting teams in the regular season, the Thunder have regressed to inexcusable percentages that cost them.
Holmgren finished with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-7 from 3 and went 1-of-3 on free throws. He also had a block and a steal.
The Nuggets had it too easy inside the paint. The Thunder can't let them slice through their defense when Holmgren is on the court. That's supposed to be his bread and butter. Instead, Denver had no problem putting up points on OKC as it had 90 through three quarters.
" - Lead-taking 3https://t.co/YiJv78wo6ypic.twitter.com/fWki4Dp9cY
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 16, 2025
Cason Wallace: B-plus
You must be registered for see images attach
Going coast to coast, Wallace sped through the entire court to get an easy layup. The self-made bucket highlighted the 21-year-old's growth as he's been one of the Thunder's better players in this playoff series.
Wallace finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting and four rebounds. He shot 2-of-5 from 3. He had three steals.
While several Thunder starters have struggled, Wallace has flourished in this playoff series. The minutes reflect it, too. He and Caruso logged 27 minutes off the bench and played more than Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein. This has been a perfect matchup as Denver doesn't have the backcourt talent to stress him out.
While Dort gets the start, he's been the worst of the Thunder's three-headed perimeter POA monster. Wallace and Caruso have been crucial in their three playoff wins. They hope the rest of the role players step up in Game 7.
Highlights:
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder can't clinch in 119-107 Game 6 loss to Nuggets
Continue reading...
