The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in Game 7 of the semi-finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 35 points. Jalen Williams added 24 points, while Chet Holmgren contributed 13 and 11 rebounds.
The Nuggets outscored the Thunder 26-21 in the first quarter, building a lead of as much as 11 points. However, Oklahoma City made a strong push in the second quarter, outscoring Denver 39-20. By the end of the second period, the Thunder had a commanding 14-point lead. They continued to dominate in the third quarter, increasing their advantage to 40 points over the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic led Denver with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Christian Braun added 19, and Jamal Murray (reportedly ill) scored 13 points.
What’s next
The Thunder will now have to prepare for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their best-of-seven series starts Tuesday night. The two teams split their head-to-head matchup 2-2, and this series will feature two of the NBA’s top young stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony (Ant-Man) Edwards.
History
This is the first time Oklahoma City has made it to the Western Conference Finals since the 2016 season. The last time they made it this far, they had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the roster. Holding a 3-1 lead, Golden State stormed back to beat the Thunder three straight to win the series.
Kevin Durant left the Thunder after the season and went on to sign with Golden State. He won two championships with Golden State before leaving them for the Brooklyn Nets.
About The Author
