Nuggets aim to stun Thunder in Game 7

The Denver Nuggets are already at a depth disadvantage against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Nuggets also could be without one of their biggest pieces Sunday, May 18 (Monday, May 19, Manila time), when the teams square off in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series in Oklahoma City.

Aaron Gordon, who hit the game-winner in Game 1, is a “game-time decision” with a left hamstring strain.

Gordon suffered the injury late in Thursday’s 119-107 Denver win at home to force Game 7.

Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said Gordon fully participated in Saturday’s walkthrough.

“If Aaron can play, he will play,” Adelman said.

If Gordon can’t play or is limited, Denver figures to need to lean more heavily on Peyton Watson, who is averaging 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 14 minutes per game in the series.

Gordon is averaging 14.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in more than 37 minutes per game.

Watson mirrored Gordon at Saturday’s walkthrough.

“AG is a soldier and we know he’s going to try and tough it out,” Watson said.

After struggling early in the series, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has been much better over the last two games, averaging 36.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 1.5 turnovers per game and shooting 66.7% from the floor.

In the first four games of the series, Jokic averaged 26.5 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.8 turnovers while shooting just 39.1% from the floor.

After winning 68 games during the regular season, the Thunder are on the brink of elimination.

Sunday’s will be the franchise’s first Game 7 since falling to the Rockets in the 2020 first round.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort are the only players who remain from that Game 7.

Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault has made a habit of sticking with his game plan regardless of the situation.

He’s used a deep rotation all season and hasn’t shortened it much, if at all, during the postseason.

Daigneault’s approach won’t change for his first Game 7 as a head coach.

“It’s recurring themes that you just revisit in these situations,” Daigneault said of his message heading into the game. “And if you need new material in these situations, then your material was wrong in the first place. Everything around the game is different.

It certainly feels different because of the gravity of the outcome. But once the ball goes up, it’s the same game.”

Daigneault’s approach has bled over to his team.

“You definitely have to understand what’s at stake,” Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren said. “Obviously, this game means a lot, but you can’t go into the game thinking about that. You have to go into the game thinking about what matters for winning.”

Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams is coming off a career playoff-worst 6 points on 3-of-16 shooting in Thursday’s loss. He is 10-for-43 shooting (23.3%) over the past three games.

Denver has much more experience in Game 7s, having beat the Clippers in the first round this season. The Nuggets fell to Minnesota in Game 7 of the second round last season.

A Denver win would give the Nuggets their third series win in franchise history after falling behind 3-2 in a series. Both of the previous instances came in 2020, when Denver came back from 3-1 deficits to knock off Utah and the Clippers. – Rappler.com