Respect, Jokic praised Aaron Gordon after Game 1: He is the soul of the team

Aaron Gordon's three-pointer brought the team to victory in the Nuggets' first game against the Thunder, and Nikola Jokic praised Gordon.

In the first game of the Western Conference semi-finals, Aaron Gordon made a winning three-pointer with less than 4 seconds left, helping the Denver Nuggets defeat the top seed Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119. This key wing shot helped the No. 4 seed Nuggets complete a stunning 14-point comeback.

Aron Gordon is no stranger to critical moments. He seems to be born for these moments. In fact, that winning three-pointer on Monday was Gordon's second winning shot in the 2025 NBA playoffs. In the first round, he made a buzzer-beating dunk in Game 4, beating the Clippers.

After the first game, Nikola Jokic praised Gordon's finale and his contribution to the team.

"He made a very important goal for us; he deserved it; he was the soul of this team; he was the adhesive for the team," Jokic said. "He may not get the respect he deserves. But I don't think he needs attention because he knows what he is doing. I'm happy for him." Team chemistry has become an X factor in the Nuggets' playoffs

The team's resilience has been tested like never before in recent weeks. When the Nuggets made a shocking decision with only a few games left in the regular season to fire longtime head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, many thought the team would collapse.

However, under interim head coach David Adelman, adversity seems to have brought the team more together. The connection between Aaron Gordon and his teammates, especially Jokic, is very deep. The three-time MVP shared the details of their relationship.

"He was great. He told me he was coming to Serbia to see me, and he showed up and I was screaming 'Oh! He's here!'" Jokic said. "We shared a lot of stories, a lot of emotions. He was a great guy, a great guy." The chemistry in the Nuggets' roster was reflected in their performance under pressure. Despite the serious challenges facing the No. 1 Thunder, the Nuggets remained calm. Gordon believes that Denver’s calmness stems from their collective experience.

"We have experienced a lot of this team," Gordon said. "We've been behind in many games. It's not necessarily what we've worked hard to do, nor is it necessarily what we want to do. But we know we were in that situation... Our team is very calm and very persevering."