OKC Thunder’s Elite Defense And Jalen Williams’ Redemption Fueled Game 7 Blowout

In a series that shouldn’t have extended this long in the first place, the Oklahoma City Thunder handled business in Game 7 of the West semifinals, dispatching the Denver Nuggets in a 32-point bludgeoning.

After trailing by five in the first quarter, OKC pounced on Denver and outscored them 104-67 the rest of the way.

For the Thunder, it clinched their 58th double-digit victory of the year – now tied with the 1971 Bucks for the second most in history for a full season and ensuing playoff run.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will rightly be the major talking point from the blowout, capping a sublime three-game stretch in this series with a brilliant closeout performance. His 35 points on 76.2% true shooting marked only the seventh time a player has combined that level of scoring and efficiency in a Game 7, in any round.

The soon-to-be 2025 Most Valuable Player, scheduled for an announcement this week, admittedly wasn’t sure how things would unfold in Game 7. After all, those winner-take-all moments have been wonky and unpredictable across the NBA for the last few years.

But when you’re the leader of a team that cruised to 68 wins and you just watched the two biggest threats in the East crumble, you have to meet the moment. The path may never be this clear and favorable again.

“I was nervous, to be honest,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Just knowing what’s on the line. We’ve worked so hard during the 82-game season, and we all worked so hard in the summer. To know that if you don’t bring your A-game, it could all be over with … all for nothing. But I think that nervousness motivated me. It helped me give my all, on both ends of the floor.”

Aside from SGA’s timely buckets, the Thunder unleashed a type of defensive masterclass only they are capable of. They did receive some help from the injury gods, too, considering Aaron Gordon’s hamstring strain limited his movement and made him a liability. And while you credit Gordon’s toughness and determination to be there for his guys, it was clear OKC would have another target to exploit with him unable to sprint in transition or closeout to shooters.

OKC’s defensive clinic on Sunday reminded everyone: This is a machine, and it’s the title favorite for a reason. Their defensive approach was to suffocate Nikola Jokic, force Denver to burn the shot clock before even getting him the ball the post, and dare ‘the others’ to make shots.

That strategy was spearheaded by Daigneault, who opted to put pesky guard Alex Caruso on Jokic for most of the afternoon. Whether it was fronting Jokic in the post, not allowing him an easy catch, or aggravating him with constant swipe-downs and double teams, Caruso helped disrupt the best player on the planet.

If NBA history has told us anything, it’s that role players often don’t overcome the Game 7 jitters – especially on the road. That’s why it only made sense for OKC to load up on Jokic and put most of the responsibility on the shoulders of Denver’s non-stars. The Nuggets created 16 corner three-point attempts, which largely came from the attention Jokic garnered on every possession. They shot only 18.8% on those looks and couldn’t make OKC pay.

Overall, that’s where the Thunder won the series: Their youth and depth proved to be stronger than Denver’s in the long-run, and the Nuggets were too reliant on their top dogs.

In Game 7, the Thunder held Denver to 74.5 points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt. Out of all 96 games Denver had played all season, it was their second-worst performance, only ahead of the opening night beatdown … at the hands of OKC:

In fact, the Thunder forced Denver into four of their six worst offensive games of the year. Three happened during this series alone.

OKC’s defense was physical, unrelenting, and constantly on a string. They caused Denver to turn it over 23 times on 99 possessions. It was the eighth time this year OKC has forced a turnover rate of at least 23%, which is perhaps the most absurd stat of their season.

Taking care of the rock should be the number one bullet point, in bright red Sharpie, when gameplanning for the Thunder. There’s no path to winning if you give a team with this much youthful energy all the transition chances they wish.

Just as critical for OKC was the resurgence of Jalen Williams, who was massively overdue for a scoring outburst. He was also likely sick of the national conversation around his last three games.

Williams, for the most part, had a miserable series until Sunday’s grand finale. He connected on just 32 of his 95 shot attempts between Games 1-6, shooting a dreadful 33.7% and raising questions about his long-term status with the franchise.

After the leap he took during the regular season, he couldn’t afford to be the primary reason Oklahoma City fizzled out – again – in the secound round. The Thunder’s offense had no business looking as shaky as it did in certain moments against Denver. And that only happens when Williams is invisible.

Refusing to let his season end prematurely, he fired back with 24 points and seven assists on 10-of-17 shooting. He nailed eight of those 10 shots in the second quarter alone, helping ignite the Thunder’s offense after a rough start. Without his rim attacks or propensity for scoring in transition, OKC doesn’t unlock this type of run before halftime:

All they needed was someone to break the Nuggets’ zone defense. All Gilgeous-Alexander needed was one teammate to rescue the Thunder’s offense when the ball was forced out of his hands. He got the answer he was looking for in Game 7, and Williams perfectly attacked the Nuggets’ defensive gaps to eventually open the floodgates.

OKC’s title chances hinge on Williams and Chet Holmgren being able to captialize when SGA draws two defenders on the ball and puts the defense in a compromising position. Or, when teams elect to play zone – which Chris Finch and the Timberwolves will likely try in the next round – the role players must meet the moment. And preferably before Game 7.

The Thunder achieved a best-case scenario in Sunday’s win, as none of the starters had to eclispe 36 minutes. With Game 1 of the West Finals taking place only 50 hours later, it was important for OKC to escape this series unscathed.

Oklahoma City is now 76-17 after this seven-game brawl, currently owning the eighth-best record of all time when you combine the regular season and playoffs:

This could spell bad news for the Timberwolves, as all seven of the teams above OKC reached the NBA Finals.

But that’s exactly what will make the West Finals a mandatory, popcorn-worthy series. Because we have enough evidence to prove Anthony Edwards loves pushing GOATs, both players and teams, to their absolute breaking point.