THE Oklahoma City Thunder announced their arrival as a true force in the NBA on Sunday (Monday, May 19, 2025, PH time).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 35 points and Jalen Williams added 24, as the Thunder surged past the defending champion Denver Nuggets with a resounding 125-93 victory in Game 7.
This decisive win propels the top-seeded Thunder into the Western Conference finals, where they will face the Minnesota Timberwolves, beginning on Tuesday. This marks Oklahoma City’s first appearance in the conference finals since 2016.
Oklahoma City, boasting a league-best 68-14 record during the regular season, proved its mettle by overcoming a Denver squad led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets, fresh off their 2023 NBA championship and a seven-game series win against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, presented a formidable challenge.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised his team’s composure under pressure.
“There’s not many games, you wake up in the morning and you know that you’re going to remember the game for the rest of your life, and Game 7 is one of them,” he said. “To be able to focus through that and perform the way these guys did today was very impressive.”
For the Nuggets, Jokic posted 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Aaron Gordon, a key contributor for Denver throughout the playoffs who hit the game-winner in Game 1 against the Thunder, played despite a strained left hamstring. He recorded eight points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes.
Despite falling behind by 11 points in the first quarter, the Thunder quickly regrouped and seized control of the game. Oklahoma City dominated the second quarter, outscoring Denver 39-20 to establish a 60-46 halftime lead.
The Thunder continued to build their momentum in the second half. A flagrant-1 foul called on Gordon for elbowing Gilgeous-Alexander in the face early in the third quarter further fueled Oklahoma City’s surge. Gilgeous-Alexander converted both free throws, and Williams followed with a short jumper to extend Oklahoma City’s lead to 66-46.
Cason Wallace’s emphatic fast-break dunk over Jokic ignited a deafening roar from the crowd and put the Thunder ahead 78-57.
Oklahoma City maintained its dominance from that point forward, and now set its sights on even greater achievements.
“We’re better now than we were at the beginning of the series, and it’s because of them,” Daigneault noted. “They pushed us to the limit.” / FROM THE WIRES