Thunders Defense and Depth Lead to Rout of Nuggets in Game 7

The Oklahoma City Thunder have reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2016, defeating the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City. The Nuggets had forced a winner-take-all showdown with a dominant win in Denver on Thursday, but they had little left to challenge the Thunder in a game that was pretty much decided at the half. Although the Nuggets took an early lead in the first quarter, the Thunder's swarming defense took control in the second. The Thunder struggled shooting early and didn't hit their first 3-pointer until the final minute of the first quarter, but an 18-5 run to end the second quarter gave OKC a 60-46 lead heading into halftime. From there, Oklahoma City kept building its lead, pulling well ahead and securing the 32-point win. All season, the Thunder have been the best team in the league, and they certainly looked that way on Sunday after looking vulnerable at times against the Nuggets. Oklahoma City shot 49% from the floor, but it was the 22 turnovers it forced, including 16 steals, that sealed a tired Denver squad's fate. Nikola Jokić, who was quoted as saying "We definitely need [more depth]," acknowledged that the teams with longer rotations and bench players tend to win. He mentioned Indiana, OKC, and Minnesota as examples of such teams. OKC's Alex Caruso got particular props from the crowd for his role in the defensive chaos, finishing with 11 points, 3 steals, and a team-high plus-40. The loss ends a fraught season for the Nuggets, who found themselves in an impossible situation after firing head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with three games remaining in the regular season. That didn't stop Denver from putting up a fight in the first half on Sunday, with Jokić nearly putting up a triple-double (20 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) and Christian Braun scoring 19 points, including 12 in a feisty first half. Aaron Gordon, who was initially not expected to play due to a Grade II hamstring strain, started and played through the pain to put up eight points and 11 rebounds. Nuggets interim coach David Adelman praised Gordon's effort after the game, saying "Aaron Gordon is incredible. What he played with today, I don't know many people that would even attempt to run up and down. It's one of the more incredible things I've ever seen." However, with OKC so far ahead early in the third quarter, the Nuggets' spark seemed to wither away. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Adelman benched his starters and put up the white flag. "It's just about getting to the finish line healthier," Adelman told reporters. "You have to have the freshest version of yourself. That's part of why I'm so proud of these guys to get to 7." The Thunder will try to keep things rolling despite a quick turnaround, as they will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday.