The Denver Nuggets pulled off an improbable comeback over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, stealing Game 1 on the road of their second-round playoff series.

The Thunder controlled things for the vast majority of the game, and while the Nuggets closed the gap in the final minutes, it still looked as though Oklahoma City had the game in hand. With less than a minute to play, the Thunder started playing the foul game while up three, hoping to prevent the Nuggets from tying the game on a single shot.

But that plan backfired. With 10 seconds to play and the Thunder leading 119-118, big man Chet Holmgren missed to shots from the free throw line. The Nuggets gathered the rebound, and eventually Aaron Gordon found himself open for a three. He drilled it.

The 121-119 lead for the Nuggets came with just four seconds left in the game. It was the first lead that Denver had held since the first quarter. The Thunder put up a prayer as the final seconds ticked off the clock, but it went unanswered.

While Aaron Gordon was the hero at the end, Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic was once again an unfathomable force for the entire game, finishing with an absurd stat line of 42 points and 22 rebounds.

Meanwhile for Gordon, it was the second dramatic game-winner he’s had this postseason.

The Nuggets will look to keep the hot streak going in Game 2 on Wednesday.

More NBA Playoffs on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Gordon Beats Buzzer to Finish Off Nuggets’ Stunning Game 1 Comeback vs. Thunder.

Test hyperlink for boilerplate