The Denver Nuggets secured a dramatic 121-119 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals opener at Paycom Center.
Despite recent coaching changes, the Nuggets maintained their championship form with Nikola Jokic leading the charge.
After the win, Jokic was spotted celebrating at a local establishment where a fan acknowledged the close nature of the contest, suggesting the Nuggets “stole one” while predicting the Thunder would ultimately prevail in six games.
The Serbian star’s postgame festivities quickly gained traction on social media.
“Jokic at a bar after the win last night,” Overtime shared.
Jokic at a bar after the win last night 👀 (via legzluthor/TT) pic.twitter.com/l3ciDcZTG8
— Overtime (@overtime) May 6, 2025
The three time MVP delivered a historic performance on Monday evening, recording 42 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists. This marked the first instance of those exact statistics in NBA playoff history.
While Jokic found time to celebrate his remarkable achievement, it was Aaron Gordon who provided the decisive moment for Denver.
After Chet Holmgren missed a critical free throw with under 10 seconds remaining, Christian Braun collected the rebound and advanced the ball to Russell Westbrook.
Instead of driving to the basket as defenders anticipated, Westbrook found Gordon beyond the arc, who connected on the game winning shot with just 2.8 seconds left on the clock.
Should the Nuggets continue performing at this level, they could orchestrate one of the more notable playoff upsets in recent memory by defeating the top seeded Thunder.
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