Three stars from Thursday's Nuggets-Thunder game

The three-time MVP was especially good in the second half, scoring 17 points, grabbing seven rebounds and giving out five assists, while helping Denver ice the game by shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. He made only one three-pointer, but it came at a key moment in the fourth quarter when the Thunder had cut Denver's lead to single digits.

It'll be the Nuggets' third straight playoff series with a Game 7, where Jokic is 4-2 for his career. He'll need another massive effort to make it 5-2.

Nuggets guard Julian Strawther | 15 points, 3 3PM, all in second half

The Nuggets desperately needed someone on their bench to step up, and Thursday night, it was Julian Strawther. The second-year guard from Gonzaga was nearly invisible in the first half, but came on strong after the break, hitting all three of his shots behind the arc and scoring 15 points in 13 second-half minutes.

Nuggets coach David Adelman trusted his 23-year-old guard, giving him more second-half minutes than starter Michael Porter, Jr. after halftime. Head coach Michael Malone was fired because of his lack of trust in young players like Strawther. Thursday, Adelman's faith was rewarded.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray | 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists

Jamal Murray came through in a big playoff game once again for Denver, even though he was sick enough that the Nuggets listed him as questionable on Thursday. Despite his illness, Murray scored nine of Denver's first 13 points and either scored or assisted on five of their first six field goals.

Murray is the rare player who elevates his game in the postseason, and he did it when the Nuggets needed it the most. The only knock was his five turnovers, but he didn't let those deter him from giving Jokic the second scorer and playmaker the Nuggets desperately needed to avoid elimination.

Honorable mention: Thunder forward Chet Holmgren | 19 points, 11 rebounds, +3

Holmgren was very effective, shooting 8-for-14, grabbing 11 rebounds and adding a block and a steal. He was one of the few Thunder players to log a positive plus/minus for the game, though he only went 1-for-5 after halftime. However, Holmgren gets downgraded from one of the stars of the night for an egregious flop when he missed a layup and drew a phantom foul on Jokic.

Holmgren's acting work didn't pay off, as he missed both free throws, part of a 62.5 percent free throw shooting night for his team. The arc of the basketball universe is long, but it bends toward justice.