FOR Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the moment of truth has arrived.
Their remarkable season, making them the youngest team in NBA history to achieve at least 60 regular-season wins, faces its ultimate test on Monday (May 19, 2025, PH time). They host Nikola Jokic and 2023 champion Denver Nuggets in a decisive game of the Western Conference semifinals. This game carries immense weight for a Thunder squad that fell at this same hurdle last year, despite being the West’s top seed.
“It’s do or die,” stated Gilgeous-Alexander after Game 6. “It’s what you live for, it’s what you worked your whole life for. It’s either your team continues or your dream ends. So, you lay it all out there on the floor and you live with the results.”
The victor will advance to the Western Conference finals to face Minnesota, beginning on Wednesday. Despite the high stakes, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault insists their approach remains unchanged, a testament to their league-best 68-win regular season.
“It’s recurring themes that you just revisit in these situations, and if you need new material in these situations, then your material was wrong in the first place,” he explained.
MVP finalist Gilgeous-Alexander has found his offensive rhythm, averaging 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in the series. However, they face a formidable Nuggets team, the 2023 NBA champions who already secured a Game 7 victory this postseason.
Denver interim coach David Adelman emphasized their reliance on experience: “We’ve got to do what we’ve been doing in the series. We’ve got to hang early and then rely on our chemistry and the fact that we’ve been around each other for a long time. That’s where experience can really help you.”
Three-time MVP and current finalist Nikola Jokic has shown flashes of brilliance, including a 42-point, 22-rebound performance in Game 1. However, his consistency has wavered. Adding to Denver’s concerns, Aaron Gordon, a crucial playoff contributor, is a game-time decision due to a hamstring injury. / From the wires