NBA Playoffs: OKC Thunder storm past Nuggets into Western Conference Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder showed their strength on Sunday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points. Jalen Williams added 24 points. The Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in Game 7.

This victory sends the top-seeded Thunder to the Western Conference finals. They will host the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves starting Tuesday. This is Oklahoma City's first trip to the conference finals since 2016.

The Thunder had an impressive regular season, going 68-14. They became the youngest team to win at least 60 games. To prove they are the best, they overcame three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and a strong Denver team.

Coach Mark Daigneault praised his players for handling pressure well. He said, “Game 7 is one of those games you remember for life.” He was impressed with how his team focused and performed.

Nikola Jokic scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and made seven assists for Denver. Aaron Gordon started despite a strained left hamstring. He contributed eight points and eleven rebounds in 24 minutes.

Daigneault noted that his team improved throughout the series. He said, “We’re better now than we were at the beginning.” The challenge from Denver pushed them to excel.