Thunder Defeats Nuggets in Game 7, Advances to Conference Finals

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 35 points, and Jalen Williams contributed 24, as the Oklahoma City Thunder triumphed over the Denver Nuggets with a score of 125-93 in Game 7 on Sunday. This victory advances them to the Western Conference Finals.

The top-seeded Thunder will face the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves starting this Tuesday. This marks Oklahoma City’s first return to the conference finals since 2016. They had an impressive regular season, finishing with the best record in the league at 68 wins. Last year, they were eliminated by Dallas in the conference semifinals, despite holding the number one seed in the West.

This time around, the Thunder managed to overcome a tough Denver squad featuring three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who led the Nuggets to an NBA title in 2023 and pushed the Los Angeles Clippers to seven games in the first round this season.

Jokic put up 20 points along with nine rebounds and seven assists for Denver in Sunday’s game. Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon, a key player for the Nuggets who suffered a tense left hamstring, managed to score 8 points and grab 11 rebounds in 25 minutes despite his injury.

The Thunder initially fell behind by 11 points in the first quarter but quickly regained control, outscoring Denver 39-20 in the second quarter to lead 60-46 at halftime.

At the start of the third quarter, Gordon was called for a Flagrant-1 foul for elbowing a defender in the face. Gilgeous-Alexander converted both free throws, and Williams added a jumper, extending Oklahoma City’s lead to 66-46.

Cason Wallace then made a fast break and scored against Jokic, boosting the Thunder’s lead to 78-57, much to the delight of the home crowd. By the end of the third quarter, Oklahoma City held a commanding 97-72 advantage and maintained control until the final buzzer.