Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder reacts after slam dunking throughout the second quarter in Sport Seven of the Western Convention Second Spherical NBA Playoffs at Paycom Heart on Could 18, 2025 in Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma. Joshua Gateley/Getty Photos/AFP
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder grew up on Sunday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 factors, Jalen Williams added 24 and the Thunder rolled into the NBA Western Convention finals, beating the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in Sport 7.
READ: NBA: SGA, Thunder look to take main step in Sport 7 vs Nuggets
SGA POWERS OKC TO WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS!!!!
⛈️ 35 factors
⛈️ 4 assists
⛈️ 3 steals
⛈️ 12-19 from the groundSport 1 vs. MIN: Tuesday at 8:30pm/et on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/7E3wJp17cE
– NBA (@nba) Could 18, 2025
The highest-seeded Thunder will host the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves beginning Tuesday. It’s Oklahoma Metropolis’s first journey to the convention finals since 2016.
Oklahoma Metropolis went a league-best 68-14 within the common season, changing into the youngest crew to win at the very least 60 video games. To again up their standing as the perfect crew within the league, the Thunder needed to get previous three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and a Denver squad that received the NBA title in 2023 and beat the Los Angeles Clippers in seven video games within the first spherical this yr.
Coach Mark Daigneault stated his gamers dealt with the strain nicely.
“There’s not many video games, you get up within the morning and you already know that you simply’re going to recollect the sport for the remainder of your life, and Sport 7 is one in every of them,” he stated. “To have the ability to focus via that and carry out the best way these guys did immediately was very spectacular.”
Jokic had 20 factors, 9 rebounds and 7 assists for the Nuggets. Aaron Gordon, a key participant for Denver all through the playoffs who hit the winner in Sport 1 towards the Thunder, began regardless of a strained left hamstring. He had eight factors and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes.
READ: NBA: Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon uncertain for Sport 7 vs Thunder
“What he performed with immediately, I don’t know many individuals that may even try to go on the market and run up and down,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman stated. “And he did it in Sport 7 towards Oklahoma Metropolis on the highway. That that was one in every of most unimaginable issues I’ve ever seen. He was extraordinarily near not taking part in. I used to be stunned.”
The Thunder fell behind by 11 within the first quarter, however took the lead early within the second. Oklahoma Metropolis outscored Denver 39-20 within the interval to take a 60-46 lead on the break.
Gordon was known as for a flagrant-1 foul for elbowing Gilgeous-Alexander within the face early within the third quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander made each free throws, after which Williams hit a brief jumper to offer Oklahoma Metropolis a 66-46 lead.
Cason Wallace received free on a quick break and dunked on Jokic to place the Thunder up 78-57, sparking delirious roars from the gang.
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Oklahoma Metropolis cruised from there and now hopes to make one other leap.
“We’re higher now than we have been in the beginning of the sequence, and it’s due to them,” Daigneault stated. “They pushed us to the restrict.”
