Overtime Thriller: How the Nuggets Climbed from the Brink to Seize the Lead Against the Thunder
Overtime thrills, gritty comebacks, and playoff drama – the NBA’s Western and Eastern Conference semi-finals are serving up a feast you just can’t turn away from. The Denver Nuggets, fresh off their 2023 championship glory, showcased their mettle by edging the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 113-104 in a nail-biter that had me on the edge of my seat. With the game tied down the stretch and Aaron Gordon sinking a clutch three to force OT, you could feel the weight of experience tipping the scales in Denver’s favor. Meanwhile, out East, the Cleveland Cavaliers fought tooth and nail to claw back into their showdown against the Indiana Pacers, led by a spectacular 43-point explosion from Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs’ resilience, especially after dropping the first two games on home turf, speaks volumes about their hunger and grit. I don’t know about you, but this is the kind of playoff basketball that reminds me why I fell in love with the game in the first place. LEARN MORE.
“We’ve been together for years so we knew what we had. We believe in each other and we’re going to need more of it.”There were no more than three points between the teams throughout the fourth quarter until the Thunder edged into a 102-99 lead inside the final two minutes.”They tested us all night but it was a good team win,” said Murray.Getty Images
Ben Collins
BBC Sport journalist
57 minutes ago
Jamal Murray led fourth seed Denver with 27 points while Gordon added 22 and Michael Porter Jr 21.”Haliburton had a rough game,” said Rick Carlisle, coach of the fourth-seeded Pacers.Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench while Pascal Siakam added 18. “Down 2-0, it’s kind of now or never,” said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson. “They showed a lot of fortitude.”Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic missed 17 of his 25 shots for Denver – who also host game four on Sunday – but claimed 20 points and 16 rebounds.
Top seed Cleveland pull a game back
Max Strus added 20 points for Cleveland while Jarrett Allen claimed 19 points and 12 rebounds.Aaron Gordon’s three-pointer with 27 seconds remaining took the game into overtime, when the Nuggets’ experience told as the 2023 champions went on an 11-2 run in the additional five minutes.Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley added 18 points and 13 rebounds after missing game two with an ankle problem.Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the favourite for this season’s MVP award, missed 15 of 22 to finish with 18 points, while Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with 32.Pacers key man Tyrese Haliburton was limited to just four points as he was two-of-eight shooting.The Cavs outscored Indiana 34-13 in the second quarter to open up a 66-45 lead at half-time, and they stayed clear to give themselves a chance to tie the series in Indianapolis on Sunday.The Thunder are the top seed in the Western Conference and were narrowly in front for most of the contest before hosts Denver claimed a 113-104 win”I have to do more to get him in better positions to have better shots.”After losing the first two games at home, top seed Cleveland bounced back with Donovan Mitchell scoring 43 points in a 126-104 win in Indianapolis.In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ best-of-seven series with the Indiana Pacers is also 2-1 after the Cavs pulled a game back.
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