NBA Playoffs: Thunder dominate Nuggets in commanding Game 7 win

Oklahoma City Thunder delivered a resounding performance in Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday, securing a commanding 125-93 victory over the Denver Nuggets. This decisive win eliminates the Nuggets from the playoffs and propels the Thunder into the Western Conference Finals.

What had been a hard-fought series ended in a laugher of a finale, with the Thunder effectively blasting a short-handed Denver squad. Oklahoma City's offense was led by strong performances from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who tallied 35 points, and Jalen Williams, who contributed 24 points.

Defensively, the Thunder stifled Denver, holding them to a low 39.3 percent shooting from the field. A key factor in this was the defensive impact of Alex Caruso, whose performance on Nikola Jokić was described as a defensive masterclass and the difference-maker in the game. Caruso's versatility allowed him to be a thorn for the Nuggets, finishing with 11 points, three assists, and three steals. His "defensive intensity was contagious," contributing to the Thunder forcing 21 turnovers from Denver, which they converted into 32 points.

A less explosive Aaron Gordon...

For the eliminated Nuggets, their struggles were compounded by the injury to Aaron Gordon, who started despite dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring issue. While he managed eight points and 11 rebounds, he was reportedly less explosive, and his injury significantly impacted Denver's offense. His inability to perform his usual secondary ballhandling duties reportedly "killed the Nuggets offensively" and allowed the Thunder to swarm both Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić. Despite generating open looks, especially from the perimeter, the Nuggets "didn’t make those shots" and ultimately appeared to have "ran out of gas" in the decisive game.

Looking ahead, the Oklahoma City Thunder will now face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. The Timberwolves earned their spot by defeating the Golden State Warriors 4-1 in their semifinal series. The Thunder-Timberwolves series is scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Oklahoma City.