Nuggets-Thunder Game 7 preview: Depleted Nuggets travel to OKC for winner-take-all

For the seventh time in the Nikola Jokic era, the Denver Nuggets are playing in a winner-take-all Game 7, this time against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This will be the first time the Nuggets have played a Game 7 on the road, with four of the previous six coming at Ball Arena and the other two happening in the NBA Bubble in the 2020 playoffs.

The biggest storyline heading into Game 7 is Aaron Gordon’s hamstring, as he suffered a grade 2 strain with just minutes left in the Game 6 victory. He is ruled as questionable, but the recovery timeline is usually about one month for strains of this severity. He has not officially been ruled out as of Sunday morning, but it’s not looking good for Gordon.

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and his status is in doubt for Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources tell ESPN. Major development heading into Sunday's 3:30 pm ET game on ABC for a Western Conference Finals berth. pic.twitter.com/Zju0lLDwFH

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 17, 2025

If Gordon can’t go, this won’t be the first time that the Nuggets have taken on the Thunder this season undermanned. In the second meeting of the season back on Nov. 6, the Nuggets played the Thunder without both Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray and were able to squeak out a 124-122 win. However, the Thunder were also undermanned in that matchup, as Isaiah Hartenstein doesn’t play.

Denver had just a .548 winning percentage in the 31 games they played without Mr. Nugget this season, as opposed to the .647 win percentage they posted in the 51 games that he was in the lineup before. It’s not uncharted territory for them to be without Gordon, but his presence will be greatly missed if he can’t play.

In the Jokic era, Denver has a 4-2 record in Game 7s, with the most recent being the trouncing of the LA Clippers in the first round just two weeks ago. They have the edge on Oklahoma City in these high-stakes games, as the Thunder have only played in one Game 7 with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the team. They lost in the first round of the bubble to the Houston Rockets, 104-102.

For an in-depth analysis of the series, read here.

How to watch Game 7 of Nuggets-Thunder

Game 7 from Oklahoma City will be broadcast on ABC with the opening tip scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Denver time on Sunday.

Odds for Game 7 of Nuggets-Thunder

Spread/Total: Nuggets +8.5, 214

Moneyline: Nuggets +265, Thunder -330

Nikola Jokic to record a triple-double: +170

With Aaron Gordon’s status for the game up in the air, this line could fluctuate before the game tips off on Sunday. Denver has covered five of the six games so far this series, but Jokic is yet to record a triple double. Game 6 was the closest he’s been as he recorded eight assists, but the Thunder have been good at preventing him from creating good looks for his teammates.

Projected starting lineups for Game 7 of Nuggets-Thunder

Nuggets
G: Jamal Murray
G: Christian Braun
F: Michael Porter Jr.
F: Peyton Watson
C: Nikola Jokic

Thunder
G: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
G: Lugentz Dort
F: Jalen Williams
F: Chet Holmgren
C: Isaiah Hartenstein

*If Gordon is ruled out, Peyton Watson should get the start to help match the size of the Thunder. Zeke Nnaji minutes could also be on the table as David Adelman will have to dig into his bench to find some sort of a replacement for AG*

Injury notes/report for Game 7 of Nuggets-Thunder

Nuggets
Aaron Gordon is obviously the biggest injury storyline for Denver. He is officially ruled as questionable with a grade 2 hamstring strain that he suffered late in Game 6. If he doesn’t play, look for more minutes for Peyton Watson and maybe some Zeke Nnaji minutes as well.

While Gordon could try and give it a shot, it would not be the right choice to do so, and it would further hurt his chances of playing in the Conference Finals if the Nuggets were to advance. Steph Curry recently had a grade 1 strain, and he did not return in the playoffs, even eight days after suffering the injury. For Gordon, the timeline for recovery is usually about one month.

Jamal Murray is listed as probable as he continues to fight the illness that had him as questionable going into Game 6.

Russell Westbrook also popped up onto the injury report for Game 7 with a right hand sprain. That could possibly be the reason why he has not been playing his best ball in the last couple of games, as that’s his dominant hand he uses to do almost everything on the court.

Michael Porter Jr. still continues to battle the shoulder sprain he suffered in the opening round, but is not listed on the injury report. The injury has been bothering him all series long, as he has played poorly in the majority of the games this series, but the Nuggets need him to at least contribute from outside the arc and fight through the pain.

Hunter Tyson has been out with an ankle injury he suffered before Game 4. His status for Game 7 has not been updated.

As always, DaRon Holmes II is listed on Denver’s injury report, as the rookie is still rehabbing the Achilles tendon he tore back in the NBA Summer League.

Thunder
The Thunder injury report is about as clean as can be. The only player who is out for the No. 1 seed is Nikola Topic, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL.

Referees for Game 7 of Nuggets-Thunder

Crew Chief: Scott Foster (#48)
Referee: Josh Tiven (#59)
Umpire: James Williams (#60)
Alternate: Pat Fraher (#26)
Replay Center: Courtney Kirkland

Foster will be officiating his 13th Game 7, and is one of, if not the, most recognizable officials in the NBA. He called Game 2 of this series and Game 7 of the West semis against the Wolves last year.

What to watch for in Game 7 of Nuggets-Thunder

Which team is going to combat the nerves of a Game 7 better? Denver has been here before, and even though they are heading into the game very depleted, the experience provides a huge advantage for them. Oklahoma City has struggled in big games such as Game 6, and their youth and inexperience show at times when they fall asleep on defense or begin to miss shots.

The Nuggets were able to stay composed throughout the last Game 7 they played in against the Clippers as they used a big run in the second quarter to pull ahead. For the Thunder, they were up 12 in Thursday’s contest before blowing the lead before halftime as Jalen Williams once again had a poor shooting night. Both teams have blown leads in this series, so it will be vital for each side to maintain their physicality and hustle for all 48 minutes.

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