DENVER (AP) — Oklahoma City ran away with the Western Conference’s top seed, winning an NBA-best 68 games, including a record 54 by double digits.
The Denver Nuggets didn’t have the Thunder’s youthful legs, deep bench, long rotation or health. They didn’t come close to OKC’s enviable conference record, home mark or road success. Heck, they didn’t even have a similar continuity after Denver’s NBA title-winning head coach and their general manager were fired on the eve of the playoffs.
They did go 2-2 against them in the regular season, though, and they split a back-to-back series at Oklahoma City.
Now, they’ve forced a winner-take-all showdown Sunday with a 119-107 win Thursday night in Denver.
That means these teams are 5-5 against each other.
Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City not only will break the tie but it’ll send the winner into the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota and leave the loser to lament all the missed opportunities to put away this series.
“It’s do or die,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s what you live for, it’s what you worked your whole life for, it’s either your team continues or your dream ends. So, you lay it all out there on the floor and you live with the results.”
Despite their 12-point loss — their largest of the series — the Thunder walked off the court with their heads held high.
“First of all, credit Denver — they threw a punch tonight as this has happened in the series, both teams are exchanging blows,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “They got theirs in tonight, and both teams have done a great job of standing back up, including us, and we need to do that on Sunday.
“Other than that, we need to be who we’ve been all season and embrace the opportunity that’s in front of us. We get to play that game at home because of the work we did during the regular season in front of our fans. We’re obviously disappointed in the outcome tonight, but when the ball goes up the air, we’ll be excited to go.”
This is OKC’s first Game 7 since 2016 when the Thunder was beaten by Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. This will be Nuggets’ sixth Game 7 during the Nikola Jokic era, including one last round against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jokic, who led Denver with 29 points, 14 rebounds and a series-best eight assists in Game 6, was asked what will be the difference Sunday.
“Probably defense,” he said. “I think defense, details, rebounding for us especially because how much they’re attacking the glass. Turnovers for us.”
Jokic added that he’s sure the Thunder, with its youth and health, will certainly try to push the pace against the banged-up, not-as-deep Nuggets, who like to play a more deliberate style.
“So, I think it’s interesting to watch,” Jokic said.
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