Gordon's game-winner, Jokic's 42 points, 22 rebounds lead Nuggets past Thunder in West semis Game 1

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Nikola Jokic showed why he's a finalist for another MVP award with his historic stat line. But with Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at stake, the ball again found Aaron Gordon's hands.

Gordon hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining, supporting Jokic's 42-point, 22-rebound effort and giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 121-119 comeback win over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.

It was the kind of finish one might expect of a team that won the NBA title just two seasons ago.

“We just didn’t want to miss the moment, didn’t want to miss the opportunity," Gordon said. "We knew that if we waited, it may be too late. I’m glad we showed our mettle, our grit, but we’re not satisfied.”

It was Gordon's second game-winner of the playoffs. His dunk on a Jokic miss as time expired lifted the Nuggets past the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their first-round series.

Gordon did much more than hit the deciding shot against the Thunder.

“Aaron’s going to be a hero again," Denver interim coach David Adelman said. "But I’m also looking at 14 rebounds. I’m looking at 22 points. Looking at ball-handling responsibilities, leadership. He is a Denver Nugget, man. Like, he is the soul of our team. So, cool to see him have two moments that no one will forget.”

Jokic became just the fourth player to have at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.

Denver’s Russell Westbrook, who started his career with the Thunder, assisted on Gordon’s game-winner. It was his first playoff game in Oklahoma City as an opposing player.

Jamal Murray added 21 points for the fourth-seeded Nuggets, who stole the opener after closing out a seven-game series against the Clippers on Saturday.

Denver's opportunity came after Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren missed two free throws with the Thunder leading by a point.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the other MVP finalist in the game, had 33 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, who hadn't played in more than a week after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. Alex Caruso added 20 points, six assists and five steals.

Jokic picked up three fouls during a two-minute stretch in the third quarter after committing just one foul in the first half. He stayed in the game with the Thunder leading 73-64.

The Nuggets closed the gap to 90-85 by the end of the third quarter.

With the Thunder leading 104-95 and just under seven minutes remaining, Jokic elbowed Oklahoma City's Lu Dort in the head on a drive, and the play was reviewed. The play was ruled a flagrant 1 on Jokic — his fifth foul — and Dort made two free throws.

Denver spent the rest of the game closing the gap, and Jokic never picked up the sixth foul.

The Thunder helped Denver by fouling intentionally while leading, and the Nuggets took advantage by making all four free throws in the final 12.9 seconds.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he didn't regret the strategy that ultimately kept the Nuggets close.

“It didn’t go our way tonight, but it’s worked out well for us in the past,” Daigneault said. “We’ll continue to look at it and learn from it, but I don’t think that’s why we lost the game.”

Oklahoma City led 113-102 with 4:31 remaining. The Thunder, normally one of the best closing teams in the league, fell apart against the veteran Nuggets.

“I never felt like anybody wavered,” Adelman said. “And that doesn’t mean you’re going to win the game. But we all know in the NBA playoffs these games are so long. You just try to give yourself a chance. We did that.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) works to get past Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., left, in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic (15) reacts to an officials call as Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) looks on in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) takes an elbow to the back of the head from Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic (15) in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) works to the basket as Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic (15) and Russell Westbrook (4) defend in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 12, 2026--

Today, a leading global wedding technology platform The Knot Worldwide (TKWW), announced the appointment of Michael Pickrum as Chief Financial Officer. With more than 25 years of experience in strategic finance, operations, and business development within the media and technology industries, Pickrum will oversee TKWW’s global finance organization. Pickrum joins TKWW at an exciting moment as the company celebrates its 30-year anniversary and continues to grow and scale with a focus on product innovation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112910392/en/

Pickrum joins TKWW from Maximum Effort, the media, marketing, and investment company co-founded by Ryan Reynolds, where he served as Chief Financial Officer. Before this, he held the roles of COO and CFO at ExecOnline, Inc., a B2B online leadership development company. Pickrum spent over 17 years at BET/Viacom, where he served as EVP and CFO starting in 2007. Prior to that, he was COO of BET Interactive. He earned his master's and bachelor's degrees in engineering from Stanford University and his MBA from The Wharton School.

“I am thrilled to be joining TKWW at such an important time in the company’s journey,” said Michael Pickrum, CFO, TKWW. “There is incredible power in celebrations and I am looking forward to working with the exceptional team at TKWW to further enable our millions of couples and 900,000 small business owners around the world to celebrate life’s most meaningful moments.”

“Michael is a world-class financial and operations leader with an impressive track record of driving strategic growth and operational excellence across media and technology companies,” said Raina Moskowitz, CEO, TKWW. “As we continue to grow and scale with a focus on product innovation, Michael’s deep expertise in strategic planning, analysis, and capital allocation will be critical to our ongoing success. We are thrilled to have him join our team and help guide TKWW through our next phase of growth.”

Pickrum is based in New York, NY and reports to TKWW Chief Executive Officer Raina Moskowitz.

About The Knot Worldwide
Across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, The Knot Worldwide champions the power of celebration. The company’s global family of brands provides best-in-class products, services, and content to take celebration planning from inspiration to action. Through its wedding brands, including The Knot, WeddingWire, Bodas.net, Hitched.co.uk, Mariages.net, Matrimonio.com, and others, the company offers an extensive database of hundreds of thousands of wedding professionals to assist couples in organizing the happiest day of their lives. We have a brand for every kind of celebration—from booking a birthday party, to planning a wedding, to preparing to become a parent, and every moment in between.

Michael Pickrum, courtesy of The Knot Worldwide