Murray’s Determination Lifts Nuggets Amid Playoff Intensity
Just hours before tip-off, Jamal Murray’s status looked shaky. Listed as questionable with an illness, the Denver Nuggets’ starting guard was barely cleared to suit up. Yet, when the moment called for it, he delivered—dropping 25 points and grabbing 8 rebounds as the Nuggets outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder, 119-107, to force a dramatic Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals. Murray had been battling not only the Thunder’s defense but his own body, raising questions about whether he’d have anything left for a win-or-go-home situation.
What made Murray’s night even more impressive was the way he gutted through visible discomfort. Pacing himself in the first half, he erupted in the third quarter—a stretch that saw Denver flip a tight contest into a double-digit lead. Despite shooting just 39% from the field in the series, he showed no hesitation when it mattered, knocking down jumpers, feeding Nikola Jokić in the paint, and diving for every loose ball. His energy was contagious. On a team needing every ounce of urgency, Murray’s presence set the tone both on the stat sheet and emotionally in the huddle.
Speaking after the final buzzer, Murray didn’t hide his relief or his impatience with the Nuggets’ tendency to dig themselves into a hole early. He mentioned how, "We can’t keep relying on second-half comebacks; we’ve got to punch first in Game 7." It was a pointed acknowledgment of this series’ cycle: Denver falls behind, then claws back—sometimes too late. Now, with their season on the line, a fast start is all that matters.
Jokić and Balanced Attack Snap Thunder’s Momentum
While Murray battled through adversity, the Thunder ran into a buzzsaw named Nikola Jokić. The reigning MVP kept things steady with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and a handful of key assists. Every time Oklahoma City threatened to make a run, Jokić calmly answered—whether with a soft floater over shot-blockers or a pinpoint pass to a cutting teammate. The Nuggets didn’t just rely on their stars. Key contributions from role players like Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon gave Denver a balanced attack that the Thunder simply couldn’t match for long stretches.
On Oklahoma City’s side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was simply brilliant. He scored 32 points on an ultra-efficient 11-of-16 shooting night, repeatedly finding gaps in the Nuggets’ defense. But as the game wore on, Denver’s defense clamped down, swarming ball handlers and forcing tough looks for the Thunder’s secondary scorers. Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams, who had been reliable for much of the series, couldn’t find the space necessary to keep up with the Nuggets’ offensive pace.
The momentum shift from Game 5’s nail-biting Thunder victory to this Nuggets statement win was palpable. Denver’s bench erupted after every big play. The atmosphere screamed playoff pressure, and fans bursting with anticipation as each possession grew heavier in the fourth quarter.
With the series now deadlocked at 3-3, all eyes turn to Game 7 on May 18 at 3:30 PM ET. The stakes couldn’t be higher: winner advances to the Western Conference Finals to face the Minnesota Timberwolves, loser heads home for the summer. Denver’s game plan is simple—get out fast, keep feeding Jokić, and let the combination of passion and experience, embodied by Jamal Murray, do the rest.
