Denver Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman credited his team’s resilience and unity after their 121-119 Game 1 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Speaking postgame, Adelman emphasized the consistency in mindset that carried Denver through a high-pressure road contest.
“I told them there—just their mentality was consistent throughout,” Adelman said. “Even in the timeouts… I never felt anybody wavered.”
Despite falling behind by double digits multiple times, the Nuggets maintained their composure and executed down the stretch, outscoring the Thunder 36-29 in the final quarter.
“We just played out possessions,” Adelman said. “We were much more patient offensively those last six minutes to get a good shot up each time down.”
Nikola Jokic, who finished with 42 points and 22 rebounds, drew heavy defensive attention but remained effective, especially late.
“He had to play through [physicality]. He had some unbelievable finishes around the basket,” Adelman said. “The biggest thing for us was he finally saw the three-point shot go in.”
While Jokic led the way, Adelman reserved special praise for Aaron Gordon, who delivered 22 points and 14 rebounds and hit the game-winner from the corner.
“Aaron’s going to be a hero again,” Adelman said. “He is a Denver Nugget, man. Like, he is the soul of our team.”
Gordon’s improved shooting mechanics also drew attention from Adelman, who highlighted the forward’s refined technique.
“It’s very different. Over the years, it’s slowly gotten better,” Adelman said. “There’s almost no hitch now… all the things they tell you when you’re 10 years old at camp.”
Denver won despite 18 turnovers, only nine made threes, and a fast-break deficit, leaning on rebounding and second-chance points to stay competitive.
“We hit the glass… 27 second-chance points. That’s just all effort,” Adelman said. “You only make 10 threes, the assist totals are low—but we just played hard and played together.”
Asked about limiting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s perimeter shooting, Adelman acknowledged room for improvement.
“We can do a better job of helping on Shai, Jalen, but still getting out and getting a decent contest,” Adelman said. “This is a very honest group… they’re easy to direct.”
He also pointed to the team’s accountability and communication during tense moments as critical to their success.
“It wasn’t about blaming somebody—it was about how can we do this better?” Adelman said. “You give yourself a chance. And we did.”
The Thunder held a 14-point lead in the second quarter, but Denver responded each time with a run to stay close.
“It would have been really easy for me to come up here and say, ‘We just played Saturday in a Game 7,’” Adelman noted. “No. This is our opportunity tonight.”
With Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday in Oklahoma City, Adelman stressed the importance of the win but remained focused on continued improvement.
“This is an amazing team we’re competing against,” he said. “Like I said, the word of the night for me is just mentality.”
