Jamal Murray had an illness and was a game-time decision before the tipoff, and yet he went on to play 42 minutes and dropped 25 points, eight rebounds, and assists apiece. The Denver Nuggets kept their season alive and managed to knock a resilient Oklahoma City Thunder off their tracks, which says a lot about how this series has gone.

Nothing has been easy in this series. Both teams have struggled to shoot the ball well and could not find a strong groove. The Nuggets flipped the script in the fourth quarter – where they have struggled to play at a high level, but managed to hold off OKC in this game to earn the 119-107 win and force a decisive Game 7.

Now with the series tied, it seems that it could go both ways. The Nuggets have played a lot of Game 7s with the same core – including against the Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1. OKC, on the other hand, has not played a Game 7 at all – save for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort who played against the Houston Rockets in 2020. They do, however, flex the home court advantage at this point.

A Game of Storied Playoff Risers and Downers

The Nuggets bench hasn’t been relevant in this series so far, but then Julian Strawther came up with 15 points – all in the second half to propel a 32-21 scoring in the third quarter to make that case different. Christian Braun was also able to meet the moment as he kept Denver afloat the whole game and finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.

Denver played off with high energy from the start – fueled by a four-point play from Jamal Murray to score the Nuggets’ first bucket.

Playoff risers are all about stepping up, and that is certainly not the case for the first-time All-Star Jalen Williams. Sure, Jdub finished with six points, 10 assists, and seven boards – but he shot awfully with just 3-of-16 from the field, including 0-for-4 from three and a lot of missed shots that he usually makes.

This has been the story for both teams in the series, and they will have to rely on these key players if they are both going to make a strong case in setting up a date with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.

High-Stakes Game 7 on the Way

Both teams have a lot to battle for – a chance at redemption for the Nuggets, and a budding championship window for the Thunder. It will all come down to execution down the stretch, and OKC head coach Mark Daigneault knows what it is all about – despite not having coached in a Game 7 himself.

"We need to be who we've been all season and embrace the opportunity in front of us. We get to play that game at home - because the work we did during the regular season - in front of our fans,” said Daigneault. "Both teams are exchanging blows. They got theirs in tonight. Both teams have done a great job of standing back up, including us, and we need to do that on Sunday."

Neither team has been able to have a commanding lead in the series and has certainly shown that they are trading punches. As the only Game 7 in the Conference Semifinals so far, it is going to have a lot of stakes – especially with the MVP award not being announced just yet.