The youngest team in the NBA just made its loudest statement yet. With a roaring crowd behind them and a season’s worth of momentum at their backs, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder surged into the Western Conference Finals with a dominant 125-93 victory over the defending champion Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The Thunder claimed the series 4-3 and will now host the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the West finals starting Tuesday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, continuing his postseason brilliance, scored 35 points, while rising star Jalen Williams added 24. Their offensive firepower and relentless energy powered the Thunder to their first trip to the conference finals since 2016.
“This group has shown maturity beyond their years,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “We asked a lot of them against a championship team, and they responded like veterans.”
The Thunder entered the playoffs after a stunning 68-14 regular season, the league’s best record. It marked the first time a team this young—anchored by players all 25 or younger—won at least 60 games in a season.
But to solidify their spot among the league’s elite, they had to take down a giant: Denver’s three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and the defending NBA champions. Jokić led the Nuggets with 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, but the Thunder’s defense swarmed him and limited Denver’s options. Aaron Gordon, who had been a crucial piece in Denver’s playoff run and hit the game-winner in Game 1, played through a strained hamstring and contributed eight points and 11 boards in 24 minutes.
Denver opened Game 7 with a purpose, jumping out to an early 11-point lead in the first quarter. But the Thunder responded with poise. They flipped the script in the second quarter, outscoring the Nuggets 39-20 to take a commanding 60-46 lead into halftime.
The game’s defining moment came early in the third quarter. After Aaron Gordon was assessed a flagrant-1 foul for elbowing Gilgeous-Alexander in the face, the Thunder made Denver pay. SGA hit both free throws, and Williams followed with a jumper, pushing the lead to 66-46. Then, rookie guard Cason Wallace electrified the Paycom Center crowd with a fast-break dunk over Jokić, stretching the Thunder’s lead to 78-57 and sending the arena into a frenzy. Oklahoma City never looked back.
“We’ve talked all season about taking steps, growing together,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “Tonight, we took a big step. But we’re not done.”
Now, the Thunder turn their attention to Minnesota, another hungry and athletic team in search of a breakthrough. The West finals will pit the league’s youngest powerhouse against a Timberwolves squad that stunned the No. 2-seeded Dallas Mavericks in their own Game 7.
As Oklahoma City marches forward, they do so with the confidence of a team that’s already toppled champions—and with eyes fixed firmly on the NBA Finals.
