Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, while Jalen Williams contributed 24, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 125-93 win against the Denver Nuggets in Game 7. This victory marks the Thunder’s first trip back to the Western Conference finals since 2016.

The Thunder, who ended the regular season with an impressive 68 wins, will face the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves starting Tuesday. Last year, as the No. 1 seed, Oklahoma City was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the conference semifinals.

In this matchup, the Thunder had to overcome three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of a strong Denver team that claimed the NBA title in 2023 and bested the Los Angeles Clippers in a seven-game series in the first round this year.

Despite a solid performance from Jokic, who scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and provided seven assists, the Nuggets were unable to secure a victory. Aaron Gordon, another pivotal player, managed to score eight points and pull down 11 rebounds, despite nursing a strained hamstring sustained earlier in the playoffs.

Oklahoma City initially fell behind by 11 points but rallied to outscore Denver 39-20 in the second quarter, leading to a halftime advantage of 60-46. Amid several pivotal moments, including a flagrant foul called on Gordon for elbowing Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder maintained control of the game and ended the third quarter with a commanding 97-72 lead.

A highlight of the game was when Cason Wallace scored on a fast break with a dramatic dunk over Jokic, igniting the crowd’s enthusiasm. The Thunder’s dominant performance illustrates their resilience and determination to reclaim their status in the NBA playoffs.