One of the most intense matchups in recent playoff history ended in spectacular fashion on Tuesday with the Denver Nuggets defeating the Utah Jazz by a single score in Game 7.
The go-ahead bucket was scored by Denver’s big man Nikola Jokic, who put the Nuggets up for good with 27 seconds remaining in the game. Utah’s Mike Conley threw a 3-pointer for the win at the buzzer that ended up spinning out, giving the Nuggets an 80-78 victory and a ticket to the second round.
While Jokic decided the game and led Denver to a victory with a double-double in Game 7 (30 points, 14 rebounds), the main storyline of the series was the battle between elite scorers Jamal Murray and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell.
Murray and Mitchell made history by becoming the first pair of players in NBA playoff history to both score 50 points or more in two games in the same series.
With the win, the Nuggets became just the 12th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win a playoff series. They will now face the 2nd-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, led by reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
