DENVER — Getting deeper into the paint with each dribble, Nikola Jokic backed Chet Holmgren in the post far enough in to find a passing window. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s bet to double-team his fellow MVP finalist failed as Julian Strawther knocked down a corner 3-pointer to seal the result.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter a do-ordie Game 7. The Denver Nuggets kept their season alive with a 119-107 Game 6 win to tie the Round 2 playoff series at 3-3.

“I thought we played a really good first half. I thought to weather the early storm that we did and only be down three after the first quarter was positive. We obviously took control of the game in the second, which was positive,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “They just outplayed us in the second half. They were sharper, executed better, made more plays. Credit them, they went and got the game.”

The Thunder knew they would get the Nuggets’ best punch and delivered early on. Jamal Murray looked like his prime form with fast buckets as he dealt with an illness. Denver’s role players hit their outside shots. They held a 31-28 lead after the first quarter.

After the initial shock, the Thunder shook it off and returned to their style of basketball. It felt like they were about to break it open with a 21-8 run. The league’s best defense snatched the ball every other possession out of Denver’s hands and ignited the fastbreak. OKC led by as many as 12 points.

And then Gilgeous-Alexander got into foul trouble. He picked up his fourth as he fought with Jokic in the post. The Thunder subbed him out to avoid a deadly fifth foul before the first half. The decision allowed Denver a strong finish to the half with 12 straight points.

The Thunder’s saving grace was Lu Dort’s corner 3-pointer at the buzzer. That put them up 61-58 at halftime. Still, OKC regretted a missed opportunity as it felt like it would cruise to a double-digit halftime lead and firm control of the contest. Instead, Denver was rejuvenated with life.

The second half saw the Nuggets carry their momentum. Meanwhile, the Thunder’s offense went ice-cold. Gilgeous-Alexander kept waiting for his teammates to show up. Instead, Williams and company went quiet. A 17-6 Denver run to close out the frame was the final touches of a 32-point third quarter. They had a 90-82 lead after three quarters.

For the third straight game, the Thunder were in a hole entering the fourth quarter. This time, though, their luck ran out. The Nuggets kept a healthy distance on the scoreboard. The Thunder never seriously threatened to mount a comeback as Denver role players delivered killer blows to OKC. Strawther and Christian Braun played the “Luke Kennard” role of random role players who went off to fight off elimination.

The Thunder shot 47% from the field and went 11-of-40 (27.5%) from 3. They shot 10-of-16 on free throws. They had 25 assists on 43 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points. Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an efficient 32 points. Williams had an ugly six points. Chet Holmgren tallied a 19-point double-double. Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace each scored 10 points.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets shot 47% from the field and went 12-of-32 (37.5%) from 3. They shot 27-of-32 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 40 baskets. Five Nuggets players scored double-digit points.

Jokic finished with 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Murray had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Braun stepped up with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and five assists. Strawther had a surprise 15 points off the bench. Michael Porter Jr. battled through 10 points.

This was about as uncharacteristic as the Thunder have looked the entire NBA playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander did enough to win, but the rest of the squad struggled to show up ala last year’s run. The Nuggets left it all on the court to ensure their season didn’t end as Jokic and his teammates had a lights-out performance.

Now the Thunder head back to OKC for a Game 7. As the sports cliche goes, those are the two biggest words in sports. They didn’t play up to par against a team fighting for their lives but will get a chance at redemption in a do-or-die scenario. The entire sports world will tune in as the winner moves on to the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“We need to be who we’ve been all season and embrace the opportunity that is in front of us. We get to play that game at home because of the work we did in the regular season in front of our fans,” Daigneault said. “So, we’re obviously disappointed in the outcome tonight but when the ball goes up in the air we will be excited to go.” Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting, six assists and three rebounds. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 8-of-11 on free throws.

This was the best Gilgeous-Alexander has looked since the historic Game 2 blowout. He easily got to his spots and killed Denver’s zone with midrange baskets and drives to the rim. A whistle-friendly crew helped him get to his regular-season numbers at the free-throw line.

Williams finished with six points on 3-of-16 shooting, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He shot 0-of-4 from 3. He also had three steals and a block.

“Make shots. I think I got to the spots I wanted to get to and it didn’t go in. Just how basketball works but nah, not really,” Williams said. “I think I had a good process of what I was doing. I just hurt us tonight not making shots.”

Putting the ball on the deck, Holmgren had some of his best finishes of the playoff series in this Game 6 loss. Alas, it went to waste. The 23-year-old needed to complement his fancy drives to the basket with good outside shooting on decent looks.

Instead, the jumper was shaky as Denver invited him to shoot from the outside. That’s been a theme in these playoffs. After being one of the better outside shooting teams in the regular season, the Thunder have regressed to inexcusable percentages that cost them.

Holmgren finished with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-7 from 3 and went 1-of-3 on free throws. He also had a block and a steal.

The Thunder have a do-or-die situation this Sunday at home.

The tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

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