Denver’s Young Players Back Three-Time MVP, Force Game 7
At the onset of the fourth quarter in Game 6 between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, the court was notably missing its most prominent star, Nikola Jokić. This absence was unexpected, especially considering Coach David Adelman’s usual strategy during critical moments—such as in Game 4 against the Clippers and Game 5 against the Thunder—where he relied heavily on Jokić to play the entire final quarter.
Not all of the results were consistent. Denver defeated the Clippers in Game 4, but not before losing a 22-point advantage. They lost Game 5 to the Thunder, although Jokić dominated by scoring 13 of Denver’s 19 points in the fourth quarter. It was a desperate strategy, used only because the Nuggets have historically struggled without Jokić on the floor. Ideally, they’d like to rest him for a minute or two in these critical games. But their bench usually hasn’t made that possible.
On Thursday night, though, rarely used reserve Julian Strawther had just played what was possibly the best 100 seconds of his life, so Adelman felt confident enough to take the chance of resting Jokić. In the last 1:37 of the third quarter, Strawther scored eight points to knot the score at 80. This provided Adelman with an unanticipated cushion, which he utilized to provide Jokić with much-needed respite.Strawther ended up scoring 15 points—all in the second half—playing a key role in the win.
With 10:29 left in the fourth quarter, Jamal Murray’s three-pointer pushed Denver’s lead to 11. It would’ve made sense to bring Jokić back in at that point. Without him, the Nuggets had snatched up ninety seconds of game time. But Adelman continued to trust his bench. That decision nearly backfired. Oklahoma City quickly scored four points and was on the verge of cutting the lead to five with a transition dunk. But Peyton Watson stopped that with a dramatic block on Jalen Williams. Moments later, Watson grabbed a critical offensive rebound off a Russell Westbrook missed three, which set up Strawther to head to the free-throw line. That stoppage was the break Adelman needed to bring Jokić back in.
Normally, a playoff series including two of the best players in the world and multiple future Hall of Famers wouldn’t center around something like this. But this matchup has largely hinged on one question: Can Denver’s supporting cast offer even a little help to Jokić, Murray, and Aaron Gordon?
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Jokić went 0-for-10 from three-point range, but Michael Porter Jr. helped Denver win Game 3. finally had a successful shooting night in the playoffs. They lost Games 4 and 5 because Jokić shot a brutal 6-for-31 from the floor and just 1-for-19 from beyond the arc, despite having solid leads in both fourth quarters. Heading into Game 6, Jokić had created 74 potential assists in the series, but his teammates had only converted 26 of them. Denver was losing the series because every other unit they put on the court was failing, even if the starting lineup had outscored the Thunder by 31 points overall.
In this particular series, a 15-point game from a bench player is a major achievement. Oklahoma City rallies that might have changed the outcome of the game and the series were put down by Watson’s two spectacular plays. Christian Braun, who finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals, hasn’t even been discussed yet.
Former Denver GM Calvin Booth had bet the franchise’s championship hopes on these young players, aiming to provide Jokić with affordable support to stay competitive. He was partially fired for it, as they hadn’t earned former coach Michael Malone’s trust until April. That didn’t ease the organizational tension, but based on what we’d seen before their dismissal, Malone wasn’t entirely wrong. In the 2025 postseason, Strawther and Watson had shown little promise as dependable bench players. Even after an impressive regular season, Braun had struggled offensively in several playoff games.
But in the biggest game of the season so far, those young players stepped up. Whether Adelman’s faith in them will continue to pay off—or whether this was a one-time fluke—remains to be seen. But the Nuggets are still alive in the playoffs because of a few often-criticized players. Jokić doesn’t need to do everything to keep the team afloat. Nobody is requesting that Watson lock up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the whole of a game or that Strawther score thirty points. However, if the supporting cast can replicate what they did on Thursday, it might be just enough to carry Denver to victory.