NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks Stun Opponents with Road Victories
Monday evening in the NBA was filled with plenty of late playoff drama as the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks picked up shocking road victories in their respective Game 1’s against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics.
The Nuggets capped off a 14-point comeback with a game-winning three-pointer from Aaron Gordon to knock off the Western Conference’s No. 1-seeded Thunder, prevailing 121-119. According to a report by CNN, the game was a thrilling encounter that saw the Nuggets come from behind to win.
And earlier in the day, the Knicks came back from 20 points down to beat the Celtics 108-105 in overtime of their opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals. As reported by CNN, the Knicks’ victory was a major upset, given the Celtics’ strong form this season.
The Nuggets’ win over the Thunder was a major surprise, given the Thunder’s dominance this season. The Thunder entered the Western Conference semifinals riding high off an emphatic four-game sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Nuggets came into the series needing a Game 7 to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in a hard-fought contest. As CNN notes, the Thunder are many people’s favorites for the NBA title after finishing with a league-best record of 68-14, while Denver has had a turbulent season, firing head coach Michael Malone a few games before the end of the regular season.
The game between the two teams sees a match-up between two frontrunners for this season’s MVP award – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder and Nikola Jokić of the Nuggets. The pair shone brightly in Game 1, with Gilgeous-Alexander racking up 33 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and two steals, and Jokić posting a monster stat-line of 42 points, 22 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. As CNN reports, the Nuggets’ victory was largely due to the heroics of Aaron Gordon, who hit the game-winning three-pointer.
The game-winning shot from Gordon is his second final-minute, game-winning moment of this postseason already, after his dunk in Game 4 against the Clippers turned that series on its head. “We just didn’t want to miss the moment, didn’t want to miss the opportunity,” Gordon said afterwards, as quoted by CNN. “We knew that if we waited, it may be too late. I’m glad we showed our mettle, our grit, but we’re not satisfied.”
In the other game, the Celtics were many people’s preseason favorites to repeat this season after maintaining the core of their 2024 championship-winning team, while the Knicks retooled in the offseason with title aspirations of their own. And in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the two on Monday, it was the reigning champions who looked seasoned on this stage. However, the Knicks came back from 20 points down to beat the Celtics 108-105 in overtime. As CNN reports, Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby combined for 39 points over the final 23 minutes of the game, leading the Knicks to a stunning comeback victory.
The Celtics’ reliance on shots from deep allowed New York to grow back into the game through two of its star players, Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. Brunson and Anunoby finished with 29 points each as the Knicks stole Game 1 with Game 2 set for Wednesday night. “We told each other just keep believing. Just keep fighting and sticking together and keep chipping away. There wasn’t going to be a 20-point shot,” Brunson said afterwards, as quoted by CNN.
The Nuggets will provide a stern test for the Thunder through their combination of size and all-around magic in Jokić, with a potential all-time series brewing between two contenders as Game 2 in Oklahoma City looms on Wednesday. Similarly, the Knicks will look to build on their stunning comeback victory over the Celtics in Game 2 on Wednesday.
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