Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, front left, drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder guards Alex Caruso, back left, and Luguentz Dort defend in the first half of Game 6 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
DENVER — A sick Jamal Murray may have been questionable for Game 6, but in his mind there was nothing ambiguous about his playing status.
“Absolutely not,” Murray said when asked if there was any chance he’d have sat out the game.
READ: NBA: Thunder overcome Nuggets for 3-2 series edge
Murray scored 25 points and powered the Denver Nuggets past the Thunder 119-107 Thursday night, sending the NBA Western Conference semifinals series back to Oklahoma City for a decisive Game 7.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had no doubt.
“Yeah, I knew he was going to play, obviously in a do-or-die situation for them,” SGA said. “And they came out with a sense of urgency and jumped on us right away.”
NUGGETS DEFEND HOME COURT AND FORCE GAME 7 ‼️
Jokić:
🃏 29 PTS
🃏 14 REB
🃏 8 AST
Murray:
🏹 25 PTS
🏹 8 REB
🏹 7 AST pic.twitter.com/LtALEvc2t8— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2025
After being sick for 24 hours, Murray ignited the Nuggets with a four-point play to start things off and sank a step-back 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter that pushed Denver’s lead into double digits.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, and Christian Braun scored a career playoff-best 23 points to go with 12 rebounds. But it was second-year reserve guard Julian Strawther who ignited the Nuggets’ runaway, scoring a career playoff-high 15 points, all in the second half.
“Julian played huge for us, made real big shots,” Aaron Gordon said. “I don’t think that’s something that they game-planned for.”
Strawther had a pair of 3s and a layup during a 10-0 third-quarter spurt that helped Denver take a double-digit lead, and he kept going in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets finally had a laugher in this exhaustive, physical series.
Game 7 is Sunday, with the Minnesota Timberwolves awaiting the winner after dispatching Golden State in five games.
One negative for Denver: Aaron Gordon grabbed at his left hamstring late in the game and hobbled through the final few minutes.
READ: NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder even series with Nuggets
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 32 points, including 18 after halftime despite playing with four fouls since the second quarter. But he didn’t get enough help from his usually reliable teammates to clinch Oklahoma City’s first trip to the Western Conference Finals since 2016, when it lost to the Warriors in seven games.
Chet Holmgren added 19 points. All-Star Jalen Williams scored six points on 3-of-16 shooting.
Although Lu Dort’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Thunder a 61-58 halftime lead, it was the Nuggets who swaggered through the tunnel after erasing a 12-point deficit with a 12-0 run over the final 2:05 of the first half, a run capped by Braun’s 3-pointer.
The Nuggets, who won the title two years ago, finally get two days off after a grueling past few weeks. They have played every other day since April 29.
“The guys in there looked like they were happier to have tomorrow off than they were about going to a Game 7,” Adelman said.
The Thunder have only lost back-to-back games twice this season, once in November and once in early April. However, this will be the current iteration’s first win-or-go-home game.
“First of all, credit Denver — they threw a punch tonight as 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.”