OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 18: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder reacts after slam … Extra
Following a historic 68-win season, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder confronted elimination on Sunday afternoon. It was Recreation 7 towards the Denver Nuggets, headlined by one final battle between the 2 finest gamers on the planet — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
At house in OKC, the Thunder obtained off to a sluggish begin however took care of enterprise when it mattered most. The Nuggets led by as many as 11 factors within the first quarter, however a dominant run fueled by defensive stress and depth flipped the script within the second quarter. As soon as the primary body was over, Oklahoma Metropolis went on a 76-46 run to take a commanding lead coming into the fourth quarter. From there, the Thunder threw one ultimate punch, happening a 9-2 run to begin the ultimate body and construct a lead of greater than 30 factors.
With 9:36 remaining in Recreation 7, Denver pulled its main rotation gamers and emptied the bench. Simply over a minute later, Oklahoma Metropolis did the identical, as a 38-point lead was sufficient to successfully think about the sport over. Gilgeous-Alexander motioned to the group to get loud, as he and the opposite starters within the sport had been greeted with a deafening roar as they walked to the bench to relaxation forward of the following spherical of the playoffs, which was approaching rapidly.
When it was all stated and one, OKC received by a ultimate rating of 125-93. It was the largest take a look at this iteration of the Thunder had ever confronted, and it was a hit. In truth, this was essentially the most vital Thunder victory since 2016, when Oklahoma Metropolis fell to the Golden State Warriors within the Western Convention Finals.
The Thunder will solely have at some point of relaxation earlier than Recreation 1 of the Western Convention Finals towards the Minnesota Timberwolves, which is able to happen on Tuesday night time in OKC at Paycom Heart. Minnesota wrapped its current collection towards the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, so the Wolves might be well-rested. The Thunder posted the NBA’s finest report within the common season, which suggests Oklahoma Metropolis will host the primary two video games of each collection shifting ahead.
The second spherical was a really powerful take a look at for the Thunder, which is a constructive consequence within the larger image. The younger, inexperienced gamers on the roster grew tremendously as they confronted adversity and discovered on the fly. The workforce that took the courtroom on Sunday in Recreation 7 was fairly totally different than the one that permit Recreation 1 slip away. The Thunder is now extra battle-tested, however the Timberwolves might be one other troublesome matchup. With super dimension, nice protection and a world-class scorer in Anthony Edwards, Minnesota has what it takes to win the collection and transfer on to even win an NBA Championship.
The 2 groups remaining within the Jap Convention are the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, because the winner of that collection will advance to play the winner of the Thunder-Timberwolves matchup within the NBA Finals.
Recreation 1 of the Western Convention Finals will tip off on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CT.
