Nuggets take 2-1 lead over Thunder as Cavaliers catch a break

With a blistering overtime performance, the Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-104 on Friday to take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers notched their first win against the Indiana Pacers, fueled by 43 points from Donovan Mitchell.

In Denver, the Nuggets once again toppled the Thunder—the top team of the regular season—despite a rough shooting night from their star, Nikola Jokić.

The Serbian center made just 9 of his 25 shots from the court (36%) and missed all 10 of his three-point attempts, but still contributed to the home win with 20 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic's main rival for this season's MVP (Most Valuable Player) award, also fell short of his usual level for the Thunder.

The Canadian point guard finished with 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting, along with 13 rebounds and 7 assists, as he ceded the offensive spotlight to forward Jalen Williams, who delivered his best playoff performance yet with 32 points.

After suffering a 43-point blowout on Wednesday, the Nuggets bounced back in front of their home crowd in a tightly contested game that saw 15 lead changes—six of them coming in the final quarter.

With 61 seconds remaining, Williams hit a three-pointer and sank two free throws to give the Thunder a 102-99 lead.

Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander traded missed shots, but Aaron Gordon became the hero for Denver once again, drilling a three-pointer with 27 seconds remaining to tie the game and send it into overtime.

The power forward, who finished with 22 points, had previously hit the game-winning three-pointer in the series' opening game.

In overtime, the hosts quickly took control of the game with back-to-back baskets from Jokic, Michael Porter Jr., and Jamal Murray.

"They're a great team. They tested us all night and we were able to hold on and get the win," congratulated Canadian Murray, the leading local scorer with 27 points.

The Nuggets, who will host Sunday's fourth game, have bounced back in these playoffs after a season marked by internal strife that culminated a month ago with the simultaneous firing of general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone, the coach who led them to the 2023 championship.

Mitchell gives "Cavs" first win

In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 126-104, taking a 2-1 series lead thanks to Donovan Mitchell's standout performance.

The point guard tallied 43 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five three-pointers, helping the Cavaliers avoid a 3-0 deficit—a hole no team has ever come back from in playoff history.

The Cleveland star, the East's top seed this postseason, had already scored 48 points in Tuesday's frustrating loss, where the Cavs squandered a seven-point lead in the final 50 seconds.

"It's hard to beat a team by 20 points on their home court. It's hard to hold a lead in this league, we experienced it in the previous game," Mitchell said.

The shooting guard now has seven playoff games with at least 40 points, becoming the second Cleveland player to record back-to-back 40-point games, following LeBron James.

Mitchell was backed by center Evan Mobley, who missed Tuesday's game due to a sprained ankle, but returned with 18 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.

Point guard Darius Garland, meanwhile, scored just 10 points in his return to the court after a two-week absence due to a foot injury.

The Pacers offered little resistance in front of their home crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, delivering their worst performance of the playoffs.

Aside from a late first-quarter surge, when they rallied from a 15-point deficit to tie the game at 32-32, the hosts never posed a threat on the scoreboard for the rest of the night.

Point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the hero of Tuesday's comeback with a last-second three-pointer, was limited to just four points and five assists.