OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 18: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts after slam … More
Following a historic 68-win season, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced elimination on Sunday afternoon. It was Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, headlined by one last battle between the two best players in the world — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
At home in OKC, the Thunder got off to a slow start but took care of business when it mattered most. The Nuggets led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, but a dominant run fueled by defensive pressure and intensity flipped the script in the second quarter. Once the first frame was over, Oklahoma City went on a 76-46 run to take a commanding lead entering the fourth quarter. From there, the Thunder threw one final punch, going on a 9-2 run to start the final frame and build a lead of more than 30 points.
With 9:36 remaining in Game 7, Denver pulled its primary rotation players and emptied the bench. Just over a minute later, Oklahoma City did the same, as a 38-point lead was enough to effectively consider the game over. Gilgeous-Alexander motioned to the crowd to get loud, as he and the other starters in the game were greeted with a deafening roar as they walked to the bench to rest ahead of the next round of the playoffs, which was approaching quickly.
When it was all said and one, OKC won by a final score of 125-93. It was the biggest test this iteration of the Thunder had ever faced, and it was a success. In fact, this was the most significant Thunder victory since 2016, when Oklahoma City fell to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder will only have one day of rest before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which will take place on Tuesday night in OKC at Paycom Center. Minnesota wrapped its recent series against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, so the Wolves will be well-rested. The Thunder posted the NBA’s best record in the regular season, which means Oklahoma City will host the first two games of every series moving forward.
The second round was a very tough test for the Thunder, which is a positive outcome in the bigger picture. The young, inexperienced players on the roster grew tremendously as they faced adversity and learned on the fly. The team that took the court on Sunday in Game 7 was quite different than the one that let Game 1 slip away. The Thunder is now more battle-tested, but the Timberwolves will be another difficult matchup. With tremendous size, great defense and a world-class scorer in Anthony Edwards, Minnesota has what it takes to win the series and move on to even win an NBA Championship.
The two teams remaining in the Eastern Conference are the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, as the winner of that series will advance to play the winner of the Thunder-Timberwolves matchup in the NBA Finals.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals will tip off on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CT.
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