Latest news with #Strawther
Observer
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series
LOS ANGELES: Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and unheralded bench player Julian Strawther produced a crucial late burst as the Denver Nuggets clinched a series-leveling 119-107 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. A hard-fought NBA Western Conference semifinal series will now go to a decisive game seven in Oklahoma City on Sunday after another ferocious duel between two evenly matched teams. Serbian star Jokic was once again the anchor of a composed Denver performance, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to shepherd the Nuggets to victory. Jamal Murray added 25 points while Christian Braun finished with 23. But arguably the most significant contribution came from the bench, with Strawther scoring 15 points. "Tonight we had a guy step up," Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman said of Strawther's performance. "He made some shots and then our main people were still complementary." Denver's win came after they had fallen 3-2 down in the series following late stumbles to lose games four and five. "Those losses were tough but the series is still here," Adelman said. "I know it's a cliche, but every game is its own chapter, its own thing, its own entity and different people are going to step up. "And now we've put ourselves in a position where we can say, 'Hey, let's go see what happens on Sunday'. And I know I've got a group of guys that have been in a lot of game sevens and seen a lot of things. So we're excited for the opportunity." Oklahoma City looked ready to clinch a series victory after surging into a 12-point lead late in the second quarter at Denver's Ball Arena. But Denver, as they have done all series, once again refused to roll over and rallied to trim the Thunder lead to 61-58 at the break. 'THEY THREW A PUNCH' There was little to choose between the teams for most of the third quarter, and with just under two minutes remaining in the frame, the score was level at 80-80. Yet within moments Denver had suddenly opened up a double-digit advantage after a 10-0 run that put the Nuggets into a 90-80 lead. The scoring spree came from an unlikely source, with the 23-year-old Strawther, in only his second season in the league, suddenly finding his scoring range. Strawther knocked down back-to-back three-pointers followed by a layup to rattle in eight of the 10 points in the Denver run. With their noses in front, the 2023 NBA champions ruthlessly held a firm grip on the contest through the fourth quarter, keeping the Thunder safely at arm's length to close out the win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City's scoring with 32 points while Chet Holmgren finished with 19. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said his team, who recorded a league-best 68 wins in the regular season, would be ready to bounce back on their home court on Sunday. "First of all credit Denver — they threw a punch tonight, as has happened all series," Daigneault said. "Both teams have been exchanging blows and they got theirs in tonight. "Both teams have done a great job so far of getting back up, including us, and we need to do that on Sunday. "Other than that, we need to be who we've been all season and embrace the opportunity that's in front of us. "We get to play that game at home on Sunday because of the work we did during the regular season. So we're obviously disappointed in the outcome tonight, but when the ball goes up in the air we'll be excited to go." — AFP
New York Post
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Nuggets saved by the most unlikely of playoff heroes to force Game 7 vs. Thunder
With the Denver Nuggets' season on the brink, the usual Nikola Jokic bat signal was answered by an unfamiliar face. Julian Strawther, a reserve player who mostly gets mop-up duty for the Nuggets and was otherwise a 'did not play, coach's decision' in five games these playoffs, caught fire for Denver in the third quarter of their 119-107 Game 6 home win over the Thunder. Strawther checked into Thursday's Game 6 with 3:07 left in the third quarter and the Nuggets leading, 80-78. Advertisement 4 The crowd goes wild as Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther nails a 3-pointer in the third quarter. AP The second-year pro out of Gonzaga, drafted No. 29 in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Pacers, put on a show, immediately grabbing an offensive rebound and drilling back-to-back 3-pointers that did not even hit the rim. Advertisement Strawther scored eight points in the final 97 seconds of the third quarter to help the Nuggets build a 90-82 lead after three quarters and they never looked back. Strawther's heroics were much needed for the Nuggets and ended the game with a playoff career-high of 15 points and shot 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. 'I think we all came through as a collective,' Strawther said on the court postgame. 'We couldn't do this one man at a time. We had to come together as a group … My guys found me in spots and I took shots I know I could make. I understood the assignment.' He later said in the locker room: 'That's the moments you dream of when you was a little kid.' Advertisement 4 Strawther shoots against the Thunder in Game 6. Getty Images 4 Strawther became a hero for a night. Getty Images After Strawther nailed his second 3-pointer in less than a minute, he high-fived a fan in the front row as he ran down the other end of the court. His last 3-pointer gave the Nugget a 109-93 lead with less than four minutes remaining and all but sealed the game, eliciting a raucous ovation from the crowd. Advertisement 'I don't even remember, honestly,' he said. His standout performance is all the more memorable since it seemingly came out of nowhere. Strawther is averaging just 8.8 minutes per game in these playoffs, producing just four points per game even including Thursday's outburst. 4 Strawther celebrates with a teammate. Getty Images Denver now heads back to Oklahoma City for Game 7 opposite a Thunder team that was a Goliath during the regular season. The No. 1 seed has shown cracks in their armor in this series against the Nuggets, though, while Denver will hope to show that championship pedigree in a win-or-go-home game.
The 42
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Jokic and unheralded Strawther star as Nuggets force Game 7 decider with Thunder
NIKOLA JOKIC SCORED 29 points and unheralded bench player Julian Strawther produced a crucial late burst as the Denver Nuggets clinched a series-leveling 119-107 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. A hard-fought NBA Western Conference semi-final series will now go to a decisive game seven in Oklahoma City on Sunday after another ferocious duel between two evenly matched teams. Serbian star Jokic was once again the anchor of a composed Denver performance, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to shepherd the Nuggets to victory. Jamal Murray added 25 points while Christian Braun finished with 23. But arguably the most significant contribution came from the bench, with Strawther scoring 15 points. 'Tonight we had a guy step up,' Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman said of Strawther's performance. 'He made some shots and then our main people were still complementary.' Denver's win came after they had fallen 3-2 down in the series following late stumbles to lose games four and five. 'Those losses were tough but the series is still here,' Adelman said. 'I know it's a cliche, but every game is its own chapter, its own thing, its own entity and different people are going to step up. Advertisement 'And now we've put ourselves in a position where we can say, 'Hey, let's go see what happens on Sunday'. And I know I've got a group of guys that have been in a lot of game sevens and seen a lot of things. So we're excited for the opportunity.' Oklahoma City looked ready to clinch a series victory after surging into a 12-point lead late in the second quarter at Denver's Ball Arena. But Denver, as they have done all series, once again refused to roll over and rallied to trim the Thunder lead to 61-58 at the break. There was little to choose between the teams for most of the third quarter, and with just under two minutes remaining in the frame, the score was level at 80-80. Yet within moments Denver had suddenly opened up a double-digit advantage after a 10-0 run that put the Nuggets into a 90-80 lead. The scoring spree came from an unlikely source, with the 23-year-old Strawther, in only his second season in the league, suddenly finding his scoring range. Strawther knocked down back-to-back three-pointers followed by a layup to rattle in eight of the 10 points in the Denver run. With their noses in front, the 2023 NBA champions ruthlessly held a firm grip on the contest through the fourth quarter, keeping the Thunder safely at arm's length to close out the win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City's scoring with 32 points while Chet Holmgren finished with 19. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said his team, who recorded a league-best 68 wins in the regular season, would be ready to bounce back on their home court on Sunday. 'First of all credit Denver — they threw a punch tonight, as has happened all series,' Daigneault said. 'Both teams have been exchanging blows and they got theirs in tonight. 'Both teams have done a great job so far of getting back up, including us, and we need to do that on Sunday. 'Other than that, we need to be who we've been all season and embrace the opportunity that's in front of us. 'We get to play that game at home on Sunday because of the work we did during the regular season. So we're obviously disappointed in the outcome tonight, but when the ball goes up in the air we'll be excited to go.' – © AFP 2025
Iraqi News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Iraqi News
Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series
Los Angeles – Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and unheralded bench player Julian Strawther produced a crucial late burst of scoring as the Denver Nuggets scored a series-leveling 119-107 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. A hardfought NBA Western Conference semi-final series will now go to a decisive game seven in Oklahoma City on Sunday after another ferocious duel between the two sides. Serbian star Jokic was once again the anchor of a composed Denver performance, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to shepherd the Nuggets to victory. Jamal Murray added 25 points while Christian Braun finished with 23. But arguably the most significant contribution came from the bench, with Strawther scoring 15 points. Oklahoma City, leading 3-2 in the series, looked ready to clinch a series victory after surging into a 12-point lead late in the second quarter at Denver's Ball Arena. But Denver once again refused to roll over and rallied to trim the Thunder lead to 61-58 at the break. There was little to choose between the teams for most of the third quarter, and with just under two minutes remaining in the frame, the score was level at 80-80. Yet within moments Denver had suddenly opened a double-digit advantage after a 10-0 run that put the Nuggets into a 90-80 lead. The scoring spree came from an unlikely source, with the 23-year-old Strawther, in only his second season in the league, suddenly finding his scoring range. Strawther knocked down back-to-back three-pointers followed by a layup to rattle in eight of the 10 points in the Denver run. With their noses in front, 2023 NBA champions ruthlessly kept a firm grip on the contest through the fourth quarter, keeping the Thunder safely at arms length to close out the win.
New Straits Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series
LOS ANGELES: Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and unheralded bench player Julian Strawther produced a crucial late burst as the Denver Nuggets clinched a series-leveling 119-107 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. A hard-fought NBA Western Conference semi-final series will now go to a decisive game seven in Oklahoma City on Sunday after another ferocious duel between two evenly matched teams. Serbian star Jokic was once again the anchor of a composed Denver performance, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to shepherd the Nuggets to victory. Jamal Murray added 25 points while Christian Braun finished with 23. But arguably the most significant contribution came from the bench, with Strawther scoring 15 points. "Tonight we had a guy step up," Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman said of Strawther's performance. "He made some shots and then our main people were still complementary." Denver's win came after they had fallen 3-2 down in the series following late stumbles to lose games four and five. "Those losses were tough but the series is still here," Adelman said. "I know it's a cliche, but every game is its own chapter, its own thing, its own entity and different people are going to step up. "And now we've put ourselves in a position where we can say, 'Hey, let's go see what happens on Sunday'. And I know I've got a group of guys that have been in a lot of game sevens and seen a lot of things. So we're excited for the opportunity." Oklahoma City looked ready to clinch a series victory after surging into a 12-point lead late in the second quarter at Denver's Ball Arena. But Denver, as they have done all series, once again refused to roll over and rallied to trim the Thunder lead to 61-58 at the break. There was little to choose between the teams for most of the third quarter, and with just under two minutes remaining in the frame, the score was level at 80-80. Yet within moments Denver had suddenly opened up a double-digit advantage after a 10-0 run that put the Nuggets into a 90-80 lead. The scoring spree came from an unlikely source, with the 23-year-old Strawther, in only his second season in the league, suddenly finding his scoring range. Strawther knocked down back-to-back three-pointers followed by a layup to rattle in eight of the 10 points in the Denver run. With their noses in front, the 2023 NBA champions ruthlessly held a firm grip on the contest through the fourth quarter, keeping the Thunder safely at arm's length to close out the win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City's scoring with 32 points while Chet Holmgren finished with 19. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said his team, who recorded a league-best 68 wins in the regular season, would be ready to bounce back on their home court on Sunday. "First of all credit Denver – they threw a punch tonight, as has happened all series," Daigneault said. "Both teams have been exchanging blows and they got theirs in tonight. "Both teams have done a great job so far of getting back up, including us, and we need to do that on Sunday. "Other than that, we need to be who we've been all season and embrace the opportunity that's in front of us.
