The Denver Nuggets managed to force yet another Game 7, this time against the Oklahoma City Thunder. For the Nuggets, it will be their seventh Game 7 since the 2019 playoffs, the most in the league during that span. It will be the second time they play a Game 7 in these playoffs. But the Nuggets are no strangers to winning a Game 7. The Thunder, on the other hand, are a bit inexperienced with their current roster. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five players who will be under pressure to deliver.
Nuggets Thunder Game 7 – Five Players Under Pressure
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets have played multiple Game 7 games in the same playoffs two times so far. This will be the third time they have to play a Game 7 twice in the same playoffs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while with the Thunder, has played in only one Game 7, in the 2020 first round. They fell to the Houston Rockets. But are Shai and the Joker the two biggest factors? Here are some players who have to step up and raise their game.
Jalen Williams
Last season, Jalen Williams faced a lot of criticism for his performance during the series against the Dallas Mavericks. After playing well in the first two games, he followed it up with 16, 14, and 12 points in the next three, going 1-7 on three-pointers. OKC lost two of those three games. In Game 6, he responded, but the team didn’t, and they were sent home.
This time around, against the Denver Nuggets, Williams has played below average through Games 4-6. He posted 10, 18, and only six points in the last game. If the Thunder lose Game 7 against the Nuggets and he doesn’t have a good game, Williams will face even more criticism. Then, the rumors about whether he can be their number two option, or if the Thunder should trade him will rise.
Russell Westbrook
To be fair, Russell Westbrook is playing on a minimum contract. He is no longer the big star who should carry games. But after playing awesome in the first two games, Westbrook has cooled off. In the last four games, he has had eight, six, four, and eight points. He has gone 3-18 from behind the arc during that stretch.
Westbrook might not need to score a lot of points, but he cannot waste shots like that. In Game 7, every shot matters. If Westbrook can score in double digits on six to eight shots while providing defense and energy, that would be extremely beneficial for Denver.
Jamal Murray
Simply put, the Joker is the best player on the Nuggets, but history shows they go as far as Jamal Murray takes them. In Game 6, with the Nuggets facing elimination, he scored 25 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Here is a stat for you: the Nuggets are 9-3 when facing elimination with Murray in the lineup.
Isaiah Joe
Often, role players decide the outcome of crucial games. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, that means Isaiah Joe needs to get out of his shooting slump. He was their best three-point shooter during the regular season.
Yet, in the last four games, he has gone 0-6 from behind the arc. When he is not producing from behind the arc, Joe doesn’t get many minutes. After the first two games, he has averaged 5.8 minutes per game. When he hits open shots, the Thunder are that much more dangerous. The good news is role players often play better at home, and Thunder host Game 7 against the Nuggets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander might be on the way to his first MVP award. But if he doesn’t step up in Game 7, he might continue the “curse” of MVP winners failing to win the championship. In fact, the regular season MVP hasn’t won the title since 2015, when Steph Curry won his first MVP. We can go even further down the road. No MVP has made the NBA Finals since Curry in 2016.
Throughout the series against the Nuggets, Shai has had only one bad game, Game 3, when he scored only 18 points. With a Game 7 win, SGA can silence everyone who doubts whether Jokic should get the MVP award.
Photo credit: © Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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