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Jamal Murray scored 27 points, and the host Denver Nuggets dominated overtime to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-104 in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals on Friday night.
Nikola Jokic missed all 10 of his 3-point attempts and finished 8-for-25 from the field but ended the night with 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Nuggets, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Game 4 is Sunday afternoon in Denver.
Aaron Gordon scored 22 points, including a tying bucket in the final minute of regulation, and Michael Porter Jr. went 5-for-6 from deep and finished with 21 points for the Nuggets, who finished 39-for-85 from the field (45.9 percent).
Jalen Williams scored 32 points for Oklahoma City, which was 1-for-7 from the field in overtime with two turnovers. Chet Holmgren had 18 points and 16 rebounds, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds and Isaiah Hartenstein had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who were 40-for-104 (38.5 percent) from the field.
Jokic opened overtime with a layup and Porter drained a 3-pointer to make it 107-102. Williams missed a floater and had a turnover, which led to Murray's layup with 3:02 left.
Holmgren's dunk with 1:56 left was Oklahoma City's only basket in overtime, and the Nuggets closed it out.
Gilgeous-Alexander went 7-for-22 from the field but put the Thunder ahead 93-92 with his first 3-pointer of the night with 7:33 left in the fourth.
Oklahoma City led 95-93 after Murray split a pair of free throws with 5:58 left, and both teams went cold from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander missed three straight shots and Denver tied it on Gordon's two free throws with 4:26 remaining.
Williams hit a layup and Murray tied it at 97 with two free throws and put Denver ahead with a 17-footer with 2:17 left.
Luguentz Dort gave Oklahoma City back in front with a 3-pointer - his only points of the night - Murray was called for a travel with 1:31 remaining and Williams made a pair of free throws to make it 102-99.
Gordon's 3-pointer tied it with 28 seconds left, Gilgeous-Alexander missed a floater and Jokic's 20-footer at the buzzer was off, sending it to overtime.
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Three potential trade destinations for Grizzlies' Ja Morant
The Memphis Grizzlies' (3-3) 2025-26 season is just six games old, yet issues have already begun to arise with star point guard Ja Morant. Friday night’s loss at home to the Los Angeles Lakers (4-2) saw the 2019 second overall pick struggle to the tune of just eight points, seven assists and one rebound on 3-of-14 shooting, which included going 0/6 from beyond the arc. While that performance was concerning enough for the Grizzlies, the way Morant handled himself during and after the game was even worse. Morant was seen avoiding the huddle during an in-game timeout, and in his postgame press conference, he quickly directed the blame for his off night onto the coaching staff. Those actions have since led to Morant being suspended one game by the Grizzlies for conduct detrimental to the team. It’s yet another ugly situation for Morant in Memphis, adding to a long list of issues that have emerged on and off the court. It couldn’t be more obvious that both the player and team need a breakup, so let’s take a look at the three best fits for Morant to get said change of scenery. Minnesota Timberwolves No team is in more desperate need of a point guard than the Timberwolves. Mike Conley, 38, has been starting at the position in recent games, and, as solid a career as he’s had, that is not a good thing at this point. Anthony Edwards feels like the only true offensive creator in Minnesota, so bringing in Morant would give both guys the freedom to feed off one another as a 1-2 punch. The T-Wolves will always be Edwards’ team, which could greatly benefit Morant by allowing him to focus on his game rather than deal with all that comes with being the face of a franchise. Toronto Raptors Something's got to give in Toronto. The time for patience has passed, and the excuses have to stop. This roster has more than enough talent to compete for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, yet it’s still just not working. Immanuel Quickley has often been injured and, quite frankly, has not been cutting it even when on the court. The Raptors have lots of nice pieces, but they lack that true closer when the game gets into crunch time; enter Morant. At 26 years old, he fits right into the timeline to win with Scottie Barnes (24), Brandon Ingram (28) and RJ Barrett (25) as the core in Toronto. Time for another Kawhi Leonard-esque splash from Bobby Webster and company. Washington Wizards The third and final team that could be a sneaky good landing spot is the Wizards. Washington finally appears to have a direction and will eventually be able to start adding higher-end talent around the young nucleus they’re building. They may not be a contender anytime soon, but Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly have it feeling like the culture is shifting positively. Given that expectations are low, Morant could come in alongside all of this young talent, play his game and put the distractions aside. Not to mention the Wizards could probably make things work with Memphis thanks to their cap space and draft capital.
Eagles geared up for another Super Bowl run after Jaelan Phillips trade
The Philadelphia Eagles are already Super Bowl contenders, but that's not stopping general manager Howie Roseman from bolstering his roster before the trade deadline on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. On Monday, the Miami Dolphins sent linebacker Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles for a 2026 third-round pick (via ESPN's Adam Schefter). It's the third defensive trade Roseman and company have made in the past week. They already improved their secondary by acquiring cornerback Jaire Alexander from the Baltimore Ravens and CB Michael Carter II from the New York Jets. How Jaelan Phillips trade benefits Eagles Trading for 26-year-old Phillips should help the Eagles (6-2) solve one of their bigger defensive problems: the ability to generate pressure consistently. Per Pro Football Reference, Philadelphia is tied for 19th in the NFL in pressure rate (19 percent). It also has 16 sacks, tied with the Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) for 23rd in the league. Phillips had just three sacks through his first nine games with Miami, but he's still a quality pass-rusher. Pro Football Reference has credited him with 18 pressures this season, tied with Denver Broncos LB Nik Bonitto and Pittsburgh Steelers LB T.J. Watt for the 12th most in the league. That's great company for Phillips to be in. Both of those star defenders are Defensive Player of the Year candidates. As of Monday, DraftKings Sportsbook gives Bonitto +850 odds to win the award and Watt +3500 odds to capture it. Star Philadelphia LB Nolan Smith Jr. is expected to return from a triceps injury in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers. He last played in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. His return and the Phillips trade may now put the Eagles defense — which ranks 19th in the league in points allowed (23.1) — in a position to hit its stride. Even if their team is winning, top GMs, like two-time Super Bowl champion Roseman, continue to find ways to strengthen their clubs. He's likely done that again by landing Phillips.
Mike Vrabel responds to accusation that Patriots simulated Falcons' snap on key fourth-quarter play
Packers have two trade options to replace Tucker Kraft
The Green Bay Packers lost much more than a game on Sunday afternoon. Star tight end Tucker Kraft, who had blossomed as one of the biggest threats for their passing game, suffered a potential season-ending knee injury. Kraft's production was quite valuable for Matt LaFleur's team, hauling in 32 passes on 44 targets for 489 yards and six touchdowns. Now, with Kraft potentially out of the picture and the trade deadline just hours away, the Packers have two candidates to consider as his replacement. Packers should trade for David Njoku or Chig Okonkwo Jordan Love is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in intermediate throws and using the middle of the field. The Packers need to exploit that with another playmaking tight end. With the Cleveland Browns sitting on a 2-6 record and David Njoku still waiting to get a contract extension, he'd be a solid and reliable addition at a reasonable price. He's up to 27 receptions for 260 yards and two scores this season. While he's been vocal about his desire to stay in Cleveland, Browns rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. is already the No. 1 option. If the Browns are reluctant to give Njoku up, the Packers can always reach out to the Tennessee Titans, who, at 1-8, are already going through a panic sale of their own. Cam Ward hasn't developed much chemistry with Chigoziem Okonkwo. Given that Okonkwo is in the final year of his rookie contract, he's also a no-brainer trade candidate. Despite the limited opportunities and inconsistent playing time, Okonkwo has turned 29 catches into 281 yards. He may only need a change of scenery to break out.
Auburn makes massive decision regarding HC Hugh Freeze
The college football coaching carousel is alive and well. Just one week after Brian Kelly was fired from LSU, it's now the Auburn Tigers' turn to make a coaching move. Hugh Freeze fired According to multiple reports, Auburn has officially parted ways with head coach Hugh Freeze. The firing comes after Auburn managed just three points Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats, one of the SEC's worst defensive teams, in a 10-3 loss. Freeze's tenure Freeze will finish his tenure at Auburn with a 15-19 (44.1 percent) record, much worse than his career winning percentage of 61.3 percent. His return to the SEC after seven seasons away ultimately did not turn out the way he or the university had hoped. Expected buyout Freeze's expected buyout is set at $15.8 million, one of the largest across college football. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, that amount "is not subject to off-set and mitigation." Potential replacements The amount of top-notch coaching talent fired this season will give Auburn plenty of options to go after to fill its head-coaching vacancy. Those names include Billy Napier, Brian Kelly, James Franklin and others. A head-coaching job in the SEC is a dream job for many coaches, meaning there should be plenty of suitors to fill the vacated role for both next season and beyond.
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