SGA Scores 35 To Power Oklahoma City Thunder To Western Conference Finals
In what had been a thrilling 7 game series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, the Thunder made sure Game 7 would not be a close affair. After a slow first quarter that saw the Nuggets go up by as much as 11, the Thunder responded with force in the second quarter to take a commanding 60-46 lead heading into halftime. The likely league MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 35 points, as the Thunder cruised to a 125-93 thrashing of the Nuggets to advance to their first Western Conference Finals since 2016.
Jalen Williams’ Second Quarter Explosion
After a nightmare Game 6 performance in which he only finished with 6 points on 3-16 shooting from the field, Jalen Williams gave the Thunder the extra boost they desperately needed. The All-Star forward poured in 24 points for the game, with 17 of those points coming in a masterclass second-quarter performance. That offensive explosion allowed the Thunder to crack the Nuggets’ stout zone defense, resulting in an 18-5 avalanche late in the quarter that essentially sealed the game for Oklahoma City.
Thunder Play Fast, Nuggets Play Sloppy
The Nuggets came out of the gates blazing in the first quarter, with both Nikola Jokic and Christian Braun scoring 7 points in the early portions of the game to keep the Thunder at bay. However, the game quickly shifted into the Thunder’s favor after Head Coach Mark Daigneault made the bold decision of putting Guard Alex Caruso on Jokic. This decision by Daigneault paid off for the Thunder. They were able to force 12 turnovers on the Nuggets, which turned into 20 points for Oklahoma City.
Murray and MPJ Go Missing Again
The pestering team defense by the Thunder also helped in limiting the other two biggest offensive threats of the Nuggets in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. They finished with 13 points and 6 points, respectively, as neither player could find their rhythm on the offensive end. The Nuggets also missed the impact on both sides of the floor from Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets forward finished with 8 points and 11 rebounds but was noticeably hampered by the grade 2 hamstring strain he suffered in Game 6.
What’s Next for Denver?
After a turbulent end to the season that saw the Nuggets fire long-time Head Coach Mike Malone and General Manager Calvin Booth, there are many areas Denver will need to address in the offseason. Aside from the coaching and front office changes, Denver will not have much money to play with when free agency hits. This means that the Nuggets will only be able to offer free agents minimum contracts, unless they can restructure the contracts of other players currently on the roster.
This could also mean the franchise would part ways with parts of the team’s core to free up cap space. Either way, the championship window for the Nuggets could be closed barring any major roster and franchise shake-ups.
Final Thoughts
For the Oklahoma City Thunder, their all-time great season marches on as they face off against another division rival in the Minnesota Timberwolves for the right to go to the NBA Finals. While the matchup of Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards will dominate the headlines, both teams enter the series evenly matched across the board. Expect another classic series as both teams look to prove who is the best in the West.
