Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Denver Nuggets 125-93 at home on Sunday, winning their second-round series 4-3 to advance to the NBA Western Conference Finals.
After a tightly contested series, the top-seeded Thunder asserted their dominance in a decisive Game Seven, leaving no doubt about their championship aspirations.
The victory sets up a thrilling showdown between the Thunder and Anthony Edwards’s Minnesota Timberwolves for a spot in next month’s NBA Finals. Game One is set for Tuesday.
“It feels good,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the win. “Obviously our ultimate goal isn’t just the Western Conference Finals—but we’ve got to go through there to get there. We put it together tonight, and now we’ve got four games to go get against a really good team in the Timberwolves, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, a leading contender for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, received strong support from Jalen Williams, who added 24 points.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Christian Braun contributed 19 points and Jamal Murray added 13.
Denver struggled with turnovers throughout the game, committing 23 that the Thunder converted into 37 points. “The turnovers were a huge issue in this game obviously,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said. “You’re not going to win a playoff game like that.”
