Player rating: Gordon is eye-catching when the Nuggets defeated the Thunder in the second round G1

The Denver Nuggets were already in high morale just 48 hours after their seventh victory over the Clippers, but they showed no sign of retreating in the first round of the second round, and they were about to face the top seed Oklahoma City Thunder. In a 48-minute hard fight, the defending champion rebounded strongly under double-digit lag in a 48-minute tough battle, eventually defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 away.

Nicola Jokic once again contributed a wonderful game, defeating Shea Gilgers-Alexander, who is also a candidate for MVP, but what really made the Nuggets shine was Aaron Gordon. He hit a three-pointer in the last moment of the game, helped the team complete the reversal, and finally won the thrilling victory.

Nuggets started strongly, preventing the Thunder from scoring early and taking a slight lead with a stable attack by Jamal Murray and Jokic. But as the first quarter progressed, the mistakes and poor execution allowed the Thunder to gradually win back the game.

Chet Holmgren's two wonderful performances and a score-chasing at the end of the game tied the score. Denver's offense fell into a trough at the end of the quarter and fell 26-27 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, as fouls and mistakes increased, the situation became worse and worse. Oklahoma City expanded its lead to double digits, while Denver struggled to find the rhythm.

Jokic broke through the opponent's physical defense, but had almost no power to fight back. Although Gordon's wonderful three-plus one dunk at the end of the quarter brought a glimmer of vitality to the Nuggets, the Nuggets were still behind 50-60 at the end of the half. After the second half, Denver's morale was high. With Jokic's unremitting inside competition and Christian Braun's timely scoring, they gradually recovered the score. Led by Gordon and Murray, the Nuggets launched a 9-0 offensive to narrow the gap to 5 points. But whenever the Nuggets launch an offense, Alex Caruso and the Thunder will quickly fight back to chase the score to 2-3.

Jokic withstood the foul crisis and the physical pressure of defensive players and led the team to approach the scoring goal in the fourth quarter. However, at the end of the third quarter, Homegrenben had the opportunity to receive his fifth foul, but the whistle sounded by the referee made the Nuggets miss the opportunity to counterattack. While they fought hard, they attacked and defended each other in the foul crisis between the two sides. Jokic's savvy style of play won a crucial free throw opportunity for the Nuggets, while Chet Homegren missed a free throw opened the door to Gordon. Gordon calmly and hit a cold-blooded three-pointer to regain the victory from the Thunder and help the Nuggets win in Game 1.

Although the Nuggets showed signs of fatigue, they were not showing any weakness, which once again proved why they were the defending champions. Let's rate every Nuggets player who plays Monday night.

Nikola Jokic: A+

Data: 42 points, 22 rebounds (5 rebounds, 17 rebounds), 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 7 turnovers, 5 Power Forwards, shooting percentage 29% (15-29), three-point shooting percentage 6-2, free throw percentage 13% (+10), playing time 42 minutes

Jokic scored 42 points and 22 rebounds of god-level data, putting the Nuggets under his body, once again proving why he is the best player in the world. Despite being in a foul crisis and being extremely tough on the defensive end, he still controls the inside, creates fouls, and hits a key free throw, limiting Denver's offense to a controllable range. His six assists and two blocks further highlighted his overall strength, although seven turnovers also exposed his offensive burden.

Aron Gordon: A+

Data: 22 points, 14 rebounds (7 rebounds, 7 steals), 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 power forwards, shooting percentage 7-15, three-point shooting percentage 3-6, free throw shooting percentage 5-5, plus-minus value +16, 39 minutes

Godor scored the most important goal of his career, calmly hitting the winning three-pointer, scoring 22 points and 14 rebounds in the whole game. He spared no effort to grab rebounds (snatch seven offensive rebounds) and his dynamic offense inspired the Denver counterattack in the second half. Gordon performed well outside the free throw line and 3-point line, and his performance perfectly blends toughness and shooting at critical moments, making him an example of the X-factor in the playoffs.

Jamal Murray: A

Statistics: 21 points, 6 rebounds (1 rebound, 5 rebounds), 6 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 4 turnovers, 3 power forwards, 6 of 16 shots from the field, 2 of 7 three-pointers, 8 of 7 free throws, plus or minus value +12, playing time 44 minutes

Murray showed his signature shooting ability and resilience, scoring 21 points and 6 assists in high-intensity games. While his shooting percentage (6 of 16 shots) was unstable, he hit a key ball in the Denver counterattack and cleverly resolved the foul crisis in the second half. He made 7 of 8 free throws in the free throw line, playing a key role in this stalemate game, and he also played an important role in the stable organization at the end of the game.

Russell Westbrook: B+

Statistics: 18 points, 2 rebounds (1 rebound, 1 steal), 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 3 turnovers, 5 power forwards, 7 of 13 shots from the field, 1 of 5 three-pointers, 3 free throws, plus-minus value +4, 30 minutes

Westbrook came on as a substitute to contribute valuable scoring opportunities to the Denver Nuggets, and scored 18 points with strong breakthroughs and accurate mid-range shooting. While there were problems with his outside shots (1 of 5 three-pointers) and 5 fouls, his aggressiveness brought much-needed firepower to the team at a critical moment. He has a plus-minus plus-4 in 30 minutes, reflecting his solid contribution in the game that Denver needs to give his all to his strength..

Christian Braun: C+

Statistics: 11 points, 13 rebounds (4 rebounds, 9 rebounds), 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 1 turnover, 4 power forwards, 4 of 8 shots, 4 of 3 points, 2 of 2 free throws, +15, 40 minutes

Braun did dirty work, grabbed the career-high 13 rebounds, and maintained the offense vitality through fighting. He scored 11 points and 3 assists and performed soundly, although 1 of 4 shots from three-pointers and 4 fouls limited his overall efficiency. Despite this, his tough defense and tenacious fighting skills made him silently become a valuable player in this difficult game in Denver.

Peton Watson: Center

Data: 3 points, 1 rebound (1 steal, 0 steal), 0 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, 0 Power Forward, 1 of 5 shots, 1 of 1 three-pointer, 0 free throws, -22, 15 minutes

Watson struggled with offensive performance, only 1 of 5 shots, but in limited playing time, he showed the defensive potential of 2 steals and 2 blocks. His activity in this area once dragged down the Thunder, but his -22's plus or negative value indicates that he's not doing well in terms of team influence. As the series progresses, Denver needs him to strengthen his offensive confidence.

Michael Porter Jr.: Defense

Data: 2 points, 4 rebounds (1 rebound, 3 steals), 0 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 power forward, 1 8 shots, 0 three-pointers, 0 free throws, -15, 24 minutes

Porter's performance was disappointing, with only 2 points in 1 8 shots, and the rhythm was not found. Although he grabbed 4 rebounds and contributed 1 block, the plus or negative value of -15 in 24 minutes also reflected his struggle. His usual threat of opening up space disappeared, and the whole game seemed uneven for most of the time, so the Denver Nuggets needed him to rebound strongly in Game 2.

Julian Strauser: N/A

Data: 2 points, 1 rebound (1 rebound, 0 rebounds), 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 1 turnover, 1 power forward, 1 shot, 0 three-pointer, 0 free throws, -10, 6 minutes

Struser only played for 6 minutes and made his only shot. Although he didn't have time to impress, his short playing time was mainly to cheer up the tired starters. As Denver relies heavily on core players, Strauser's role is expected to remain limited unless David Adelman is in foul trouble.