The Julian Strawther game. The Zag saved Denver’s season.
Without his 8-point burst from the 3:03 mark to the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets don’t push this series to a Game 7 against the Thunder. Off the bench in the must-win situation, Strawther scored 15 points on 4-for-8 field goals, 3-for-4 three-pointers, and 4-for-4 free throws in 20 minutes during the 119-107 victory at Ball Arena in Denver.
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> [pic.twitter.com/Ud6NvizEht](https://t.co/Ud6NvizEht)
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> — Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) [May 16, 2025](https://twitter.com/ZagMBB/status/1923209245345923477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Dating back to his days with Gonzaga, Strawther has been a catch-and-shoot killer all across the three-point line. Hitting clutch shot after clutch shot is nothing new for the 6-6 wing. Most memorable coming against rival UCLA Bruins in his hometown of Las Vegas to push the Zags to the 2023 Elite Eight.
**“That’s the moments that you dream of as a little kid. Coming into the game, having all the guys believe in you, find you in your spots and be able to just make an impact on the game.”**_**\- Julian Strawther via Denver Gazette**_
Strawther becomes the 9th Gonzaga player to score 15+ points in an NBA playoff game, joining a list of memorable Zags (John Stockton, Kelly Olynyk, Domantas Sabonis, Brandon Clarke, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Suggs, Andrew Nembhard, Chet Holmgren).
The second-year guard averaged 9.0 points on a shooting split of 43.2 field goal percentage/34.9 three-point percentage/82.2 free throw percentage plus 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game during the 2024-25 regular season. Despite dealing with knee and ankle injuries, he still ended up starting four of his 65 games played for the Nuggets.
Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals against Holmgren’s Thunder takes place on Sunday, May 18. ABC will have the call at 12:30 p.m. PT in Oklahoma City.
**Arden Cravalho** is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area... Follow him on Twitter @a\_cravalho