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

The Oklahoma City Thunder had a big win 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 Thunder to the Western Conference finals. They will host the Minnesota Timberwolves starting Tuesday. It’s their first trip to the conference finals since 2016.

Oklahoma City finished the regular season with a league-best record of 68-14. They became the youngest team to win at least 60 games. To prove they are the best, they beat three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and last year’s NBA champions.

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 by how his team performed under pressure.

Nikola Jokic scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had seven assists for Denver. Aaron Gordon started despite a strained left hamstring, scoring eight points and grabbing 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 grow stronger.