Arizona Ring of Honor member Aaron Gordon made his second game-winning shot in the 2025 NBA playoffs to give the Denver Nuggets a game one win at Oklahoma City on Monday night.
After an unexpected game-winning dunk at the buzzer to secure a victory against the Los Angeles Clippers in game four of the first round, Arizona alum Aaron Gordon made a crucial three-point shot with just 2.8 seconds left, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 121-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one on Monday.
Gordon finished the game with 22 points and 15 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, shooting 7-15 from the field, 3-6 from beyond the arc, and hitting all five of his free throw attempts. The Nuggets had been down by as much as 13 points in the third quarter and faced a nine-point deficit with three minutes to go before completing their impressive comeback.
Gordon contributed eight points in the fourth quarter, bouncing back after Jalen Williams blocked his shot with 19.1 seconds remaining while the Nuggets were trailing 115-114. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander then added two free throws to extend Oklahoma City’s lead to 117-114 with 13.2 seconds left.
Opting to foul while up by three points, Oklahoma City allowed Nikola Jokic to make two free throws. Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a dunk to put his team ahead 119-116 with 11 seconds remaining. Gordon was fouled with 10.1 seconds on the clock, sinking both free throws and setting the stage for his dramatic finish.
ANOTHER game winner for AG 👀 pic.twitter.com/AIJSWFHNuK
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) May 6, 2025
Russell Westbrook fouled Chet Holmgren with 9.1 seconds left, but Holmgren missed both of his free throws. Christian Braun grabbed the rebounds and quickly passed to Westbrook on the right wing, who then found Gordon wide open on the left side near the Oklahoma City bench, where he delivered the game-winning three-pointer.
Denver secured the victory roughly 48 hours after eliminating the Los Angeles Clippers in game seven of the first round. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City had been resting for eight days after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in their first-round matchup. The Thunder also set an NBA record for the largest cumulative victory margin in history.
Oklahoma City enters the 2025 NBA Playoffs as the top seed, finishing the regular season with a remarkable 68-14 record. Denver will visit Oklahoma City for game two on Wednesday night, with tip-off scheduled for 6:30 PM Mountain Standard Time on TNT, truTV, and Max.
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