Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City’s young core has reached its moment of truth.

Jamal Murray fought through an illness to score 25 points and power the Denver Nuggets past the Thunder 119-107, sending the series back to Oklahoma City for a decisive Game 7.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the youthful Oklahoma Thunder are on the verge of making the franchise’s first appearance in the Western Conference finals since 2016.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-105 and go up 3-2 in their Western Conference semifinal series.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, the top seeds in the playoffs and owners of the best regular-season records in the NBA, find themselves in dire need of wins as they host Game 5s in the conference semifinals on Tuesday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder finally outplayed Denver in crunch time, beating the Nuggets 92-87 Sunday to knot their second-round series at two games each.

The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder couldn’t wake up their offense with an early tip for Game 4 on Sunday.

Jamal Murray scored 27 points and Michael Porter Jr. bounced back with 21 clutch points, leading the Denver Nuggets past the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 113-104 in overtime Friday night for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Nikola Jokic had 42 points and 22 rebounds, and Aaron Gordon hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds to give the Denver Nuggets a stunning 121-119 comeback win over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series.

Not this time: The Denver Nuggets’ second-half lead was way too big for them to fritter away.

The Nuggets are glad Game 7 of their first-round playoff series with the Clippers will be at home Saturday.

James Harden had 28 points and eight assists in an outstanding bounce-back performance, Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and the Los Angeles Clippers forced a seventh game in their first-round NBA playoff series with a 111-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday night.

Jamal Murray erupted for 43 points and Russell Westbrook chipped in 21 in his return from a foot injury, sparking the Nuggets’ 131-115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night that gave Denver a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Oklahoma City has a chance to secure its spot in Round 2.

Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting and the Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round playoff series against the Nuggets with a 105-102 win in Denver.

Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and Aaron Gordon added 25, and the Denver Nuggets roared back from a 15-point first-half deficit to power past the Los Angeles Clippers 112-110 in overtime in the opener of their Western Conference playoff series.

Michael Malone paid the price for the myriad problems plaguing the Denver Nuggets this season.

All five of the Denver Nuggets starters are out for their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednedsay night.

Luka Doncic had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in just three quarters of work, and the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Denver Nuggets 120-108 in a matchup of injury-depleted Western Conference contenders.

Nikola Jokic sat in front of his locker, calmly scrolling through his phone, seemingly unimpressed that 30 minutes earlier he made NBA history.

Luka Doncic had his best game in a Lakers uniform Saturday night in Denver when he led Los Angeles to a 123-100 win over the Nuggets who had won nine games in a row.

Luka Doncic had his best game yet for the Los Angeles Lakers, leading them to a 123-100 win at Denver that snapped the Nuggets' nine-game winning streak.

The only thing hotter than Jamal Murray’s jumper Wednesday night may have been his temper.

Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to have a triple-double with zero turnovers and shoot 100% from the field and the free-throw line in the Denver Nuggets’ 132-121 win over the Utah Jazz.

Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal each scored 27 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 110-100 night in the nightcap to the NBA’s Christmas slate of games.

Nikola Jokic scored a career-high 56 points and had little to celebrate afterward.

Jordan Poole scored 39 points, and the Washington Wizards overcame a career-high 56 by Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 122-113 and snap their 16-game losing streak.

There are moments when Nikola Jokic does things on the court that seem to defy reason — almost magical.

Denver point guard Jamal Murray was placed in the concussion protocol after a third-quarter collision with Minnesota’s Julius Randle forced him out of the game.

The Denver Nuggets secured another one of their core players by agreeing with forward Aaron Gordon on a four-year, $133 million contract extension Monday night.

Even though Vince Carter played only a short time in Canada, his impact on Canadian basketball is still going strong.

A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that star point guard Jamal Murray has agreed to a four-year, $208 million maximum contract extension with the Denver Nuggets.

Denver coach Michael Malone first broached the subject with his team in training camp, reminding them no NBA champion had won back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors did it in 2018.

The Denver Nuggets couldn’t quiet an epic second-half comeback by Minnesota or the noise emanating from a boisterous Timberwolves locker room.

Anthony Edwards overcame a slow start and the Timberwolves roared back from a 20-point second-half deficit to eliminate the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90 in a Game 7 Minnesota masterpiece.

Jamal Murray failed to make a fadeaway on Denver’s first possession and then tried a floater that spun around the rim and spit out in portending fashion.

None of the five teams to win the NBA championship prior to Denver last year advanced past the second round of the playoffs the following season.

Anthony Edwards was seeing double everywhere he turned.

Nikola Jokic was presented with his third NBA MVP award before the game, then scored 40 points and dished out 13 assists in leading the Denver Nuggets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-97 Tuesday night.

Nikola Jokic scored 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and Aaron Gordon had 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting to propel the Denver Nuggets to a series-tying 115-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets managed to fight their way back into the NBA's conference semifinals with key Game 3 victories Friday night.

Jamal Murray rebounded from a rough start to the Western Conference semifinals with 24 points to lead the Denver Nuggets on a 117-90 romp in Game 3 that made the Minnesota Timberwolves the last team in the NBA to lose in this postseason.

The Minnesota Timberwolves did the hard part by winning the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series in Denver against the defending champion Nuggets.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone says he reminded his team they are the defending champions and issued a challenge to both act like it and play like it.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been fined $100,000 by the NBA but avoided a suspension for what the league described as “throwing multiple objects in the direction of a game official during live play.”.

Another dominant performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves has the reigning but reeling NBA champion Denver Nuggets on the cusp of a stunning early exit from the playoffs.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray lost his cool on the bench and tossed a heat pack onto the court.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone says it's about time his team snaps out of its slow starts.

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray scuffled with his shot in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Denver Nuggets needed just five games to dispatch the Los Angeles Lakers from the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

The futures of LeBron James and Darvin Ham with the Los Angeles Lakers remain murky.

Jamal Murray scored 32 points despite a strained left calf and sank the game-winning shot with 3.6 seconds remaining as the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets again bounced LeBron James from the playoffs with a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5.

The Denver Nuggets on Sunday listed point guard Jamal Murray as questionable for Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers because of a strained left calf.

Denver is one win from returning to Round 2.

The Denver Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the first-round series.

Naz Reid, who helped the Minnesota Timberwolves overcome an injury to Karl-Anthony Towns to have one of the best seasons in franchise history, was voted the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.

LeBron James' anger boiled over after the Los Angeles Lakers' latest loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Jamal Murray sank a 15-foot step-back jumper at the buzzer and the Denver Nuggets wiped out a 20-point second-half deficit to stun the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99 Monday night and take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.

Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets powered past LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 114-103 in their Western Conference playoff opener.

Michael Porter Jr.'s teammates on the Denver Nuggets say their starting forward seems to be handling his family's troubles well as the team heads into the playoffs.

Nikola Jokic scored 41 points and powered the Denver Nuggets past Minnesota and into sole possession of first place in the tight Western Conference playoff race with a 116-107 win over the Timberwolves.

Nikola Jokic had 35 points and 16 rebounds and Michael Porter Jr. scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter as the Denver Nuggets fended off the undermanned and undersized Minnesota Timberwolves 115-112.

Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and the Denver Nuggets beat San Antonio 117-106 on Friday night in a game played in the Texas capital as the Spurs drew a record crowd in their bid to broaden their regional fan base.

Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in leading the Denver Nuggets to a 115-109 win over Boston and a season sweep of the Celtics.

Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists for his third straight triple-double and 18th of the season after his long buzzer-beater against Golden State sealed the last meeting, leading the defending champion Denver Nuggets past the Warriors again in a 119-103 victory.

Nikola Jokic spoiled Doc Rivers' debut as Milwaukee coach by recording his 14th triple-double of the season in the Denver Nuggets' 113-107 victory over the Bucks.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 16 rebounds but was denied his rematch with fellow MVP contender Joel Embiid when the Denver Nuggets fended off the short-handed but gritty Philadelphia 76ers 111-105.

Jamal Murray scored 35 points, Nikola Jokic finished with 34 and the Denver Nuggets held on to hand the Boston Celtics their first home loss of the season 102-100.

Paolo Banchero hit a pair of go-ahead of free throws with 9.7 seconds remaining on a night he recorded his first career triple-double and the Orlando Magic rallied for a 122-120 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Jamal Murray scored 28 points, Nikola Jokic overcame an off shooting day by going 18 of 18 from the free-throw line and the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to five games by holding off the Golden State Warriors 120-114 on Monday.

Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds, Michael Porter Jr. scored a season-high 30 points and the Denver Nuggets rolled past the Houston Rockets 134-124 on Wednesday night in Jamal Murray’s return from a hamstring injury.

Jamal Murray is edging closer to a return from a hamstring injury and will join the Denver Nuggets on their upcoming five-game trip.

The Denver Nuggets have extended the contract of coach Michael Malone after he guided the franchise to its first NBA title, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

An exhausted Nikola Jokic had 35 points and 13 rebounds in more than 36 minutes of action to help the Denver Nuggets hold off the Golden State Warriors 108-105 on Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic finished an assist shy of a triple-double and the Denver Nuggets held off the Dallas Mavericks 125-114 on Friday night to open the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.

Nikola Jokic had 28 points and 14 rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets roll past the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-95.

Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double and the Denver Nuggets began defense of their first NBA title with a 119-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Maximizing player rest and limiting travel demands were again part of the NBA’s formula for the coming regular season.

Sacramento assistant Jordi Fernandez is taking over for Nick Nurse as coach of the Canadian men’s basketball team that will compete at this summer’s World Cup, a person with knowledge of the decision said Tuesday.

The NBA-champion Denver Nuggets struck a deal with Indiana to acquire a first-round round pick in the draft on Thursday night.

This may be just the start for the Denver Nuggets.

The Denver Nuggets have shown a lot of poise in their first NBA Finals.

Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Nikola Jokic added 23 and the Denver Nuggets moved one win away from their first NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the title series.

Denver rookie Christian Braun is in rarified air with the Nuggets two wins shy of winning the first NBA championship in franchise history.

Jimmy Butler showed up in plush blue slippers Thursday for what was officially called practice.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray became the first teammates in NBA Finals history to both record triple-doubles, and Denver’s two stars made sure the Nuggets reclaimed the lead in the series by beating the Miami Heat 109-94 in Game 3 on Wednesday night.

Gabe Vincent scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each scored 21 and the Miami Heat evened up the NBA Finals by overcoming a monster effort from Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 on Sunday night.

The Denver Nuggets' playoff run has been fueled by the two-man game of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Nuggets rookie Christian Braun gets high praise from coach Michael Malone, and his star teammates Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray also rave about the rookie.

For the Miami Heat, shooting at Denver’s 5,280 feet of mile-high altitude during Game 1 of the NBA Finals wasn’t a problem.

The highlight of Game 1 for Jamal Murray came when he dribbled into the middle, planted his surgically repaired left knee in the paint, made a full clockwise turn, then faded away and swished a mid-range jumper.

Nikola Jokic got a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, Jamal Murray scored 26 points and the Denver Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Miami Heat on the way to a 104-93 win in Game 1 of the title series on Thursday night.

It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more ‘yeah, buts’ than any city should have to stomach.

The Denver Nuggets played with disruption on their minds in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

The Denver Nuggets are going to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

The Denver Nuggets are on the brink of the first NBA Finals trip in franchise history after winning the first three games of the Western Conference finals over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jamal Murray scored 37 points, Nikola Jokic added 24 points and eight assists, and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals with a 119-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers' late-season transformation is one of this NBA season's best stories, but LeBron James and his teammates finally appear to be running out of steam in the Western Conference finals.

Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

The Denver Nuggets are rolling along behind their dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.