It was an intense opening round between the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs, but in the end, the West's No. 2 seed found a way to win and advance.

Denver was pushed to the brink by San Antonio, but held on for a narrow 90-86 win in Game 7 to advance to the second round where they'll face Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland should be plenty rested after dispatching the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games, thanks to one of the all-time great playoff shots by Lillard.

Both the Nuggets and Blazers are now just four wins away from reaching the Western Conference finals, and it's a testament to how well both clubs have played all year long, including in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets will be led by triple-double machine Nikola Jokic, while the Blazers will have their normal leadership from Lillard and CJ McCollum. It promises to be an exciting series, with plenty on the line for both teams.