The Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder clashed in a heavyweight fight for Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on Monday. The Nuggets upset the 10.5-point favorite Thunder (via ESPN Bet) with a 121-119 win at Paycom Center to steal the home-court advantage and send a clear message to their opponents.
While Nikola Jokic put on a show with his 42 points and 22 rebounds, Aaron Gordon was the man of the night, as he added 22 points, 14 rebounds and a game-winning 3-pointer to seal the deal for his squad.
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Among his highlights, Gordon put Thunder’s second-year big man, Chet Holmgren, on a poster with a little over two minutes left on the clock in the second round.
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
That dunk caught a lot of attention on social media, but Charles Barkley’s comments on how Gordon looked much superior to Holmgren also turned many heads. A Redditor who goes by the name “Classic-Carpet7609” shared a 12-second clip of Barkley’s reaction to the play.
The 1993 NBA MVP made fun of Holmgren’s lack of strength against Gordon, who is way more muscular than the Gonzaga product.
“Get out the way, little man,” Barkley said. “Get off me, little man. Get in the weight room. Damn, put some rocks in your pocket!”
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Holmgren finished the game with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal. Even though he posted four blocks, he couldn’t prevent Gordon from scoring and cutting the Thunder’s lead to 55-43 in that possession.
The Nuggets entered the 2025 NBA playoffs with several questions to answer, but the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers left them in a much better position to face the No. 1 seed in the West in the semifinals.
Oklahoma City must win Game 2, which is scheduled for Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Related: Aaron Gordon Turns Heads With Wholesome Gesture After Nuggets Win