On any other night, Nikola Jokic and his insane 42-point, 22-rebound statline would have been the headline of this wild Denver Nuggets comeback.
But this was Aaron Gordon’s moment — and rightfully so.
Gordon drilled the game-winning triple with 2.8 seconds remaining. He and Jokic joined forces in propelling Denver to a cardiac West semis opening-win against the no. 1 OKC Thunder.
[ALSO READ: Clutch Aaron Gordon helps Nuggets snatch West semis opener vs Thunder]
“We just didn’t want to miss the moment, didn’t want to miss the opportunity. I’m glad we showed our mettle, our grit, but we’re not satisfied,” Gordon told reporters in the post-game press conference.
For the second straight week, the 29-year-old played hero for the Nuggets--coming off a buzzer-beating slam in Game 4 of the Nuggets' first-round series against the LA Clippers last April 27.
This time, Gordon sunk a triple that capped off a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double to help Denver overcome a 11-point hole in the last five minutes of play.
“Aaron’s going to be a hero again. But I’m also looking at 14 rebounds. I’m looking at 22 points. Looking at ball-handling responsibilities, leadership. He is a Denver Nugget, man,” Denver interim head coach David Adelman said in a post-game interview.
“Like, he is the soul of our team. So, cool to see him have two moments that no one will forget.”
"[Aaron Gordon] IS a Denver Nugget, he is the soul of our team." https://t.co/s9ikSsHFuZ
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025
Jokic, who became just the fifth player ever to register 40 or more points, 20 or more rebounds, and 5+ assists in a playoff game, agreed with his coach.
"He is the soul of this team. He probably doesn't get as much respect as he deserves. But I think he doesn't need it," the three-time MVP added.
Jokic poured much of his damage in the second half where Denver outscored OKC, 71-59. The former Finals MVP dropped 26 markers alone in the final two quarters.
“I just needed to be aggressive and I think I did it to the best of my capability,” Jokic added.
Denver atoned for committing 18 turnovers by dominating the rebounding battle, 63-43. Despite the Thunder gaining advantages in both the steals (12-6) and blocks (11-5) departments, the Nuggets shot 33 free throw attempts and made 27.
“We just played hard and played together. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to win every game that way, but you could give yourselves a great chance. We did that and things worked out for us,” Adelman insisted.
Game 2 takes place on Thursday, May 8 with Denver eyeing a commanding 2-0 series lead.
