Nuggets Advance to Face Thunder After Game 7 Win

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 120-101 in Game 7 to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, where they will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Denver displayed a balanced offense, with Aaron Gordon scoring 22 points, Christian Braun 21, and Nikola Jokic recording 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. A decisive 17-0 third-quarter run helped the Nuggets break the game open, outscoring the Clippers 72-40 over the second and third quarters. James Harden struggled for the Clippers, scoring only 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting, while Christian Braun played strong defense against him, aided by advice from Russell Westbrook. Jamal Murray and Westbrook also added 16 points each. The Nuggets and Thunder split their regular season series 2-2.