CNN
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Behind the incredible performance of MVP favourite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in Game 7, making its first Western Conference Finals since 2016.
The Thunder scored 11 points at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City late in the first quarter, down 26-21 after the period.
However, the Thunder roamed, controlled the game, scoring 14 and 25 points later in the third quarter.
Thunder Superstar Guard Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 35 points in a 19-12 shooting. This was his seventh 30-point or more game this season in the postseason, and was the most in the league.
After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander said that winning the series means a lot for the city and fans.
“They were very good all year round. They were good and bad behind us. It feels like the league teams don’t have the advantages of home courts like we do,” he said. “We were a better team thanks to them. We’ve got them behind us. If we don’t bring it tonight, knowing that it’s not over for them either.”
Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams finished with 24 points, five rebounds and seven assists as the Thunder won three games in the Western Conference Semis four games.
OKC head coach Mark Deanoo was impressed by his team’s performance in Game 7.
“There aren’t many games to wake up in the morning. I know I remember the rest of my life’s game. Game 7 is one of them,” Daigneault told reporters after the victory.
“It’s really a distraction and it’s still a basketball game. It was very impressive to see them focused through it and do what these guys did today.”
Denver has violated 22 sales and struggled from the 3-point line, converting only 10/45 over the arc.
Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic is a finalist in the three regular-season MVP of this year, finishing with 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
“Everyone was thinking about the (Los Angeles) Clippers defeating us, even in the first round,” Jokic said at a post-game press conference. “Except tonight, we’ve always found a way. We’ve found a way to win the game. We found a way to win the series, but that wasn’t the case today.”
He added: “We played a 7-game series against perhaps the best team in the NBA. We had the opportunity. We had the chance.”
OKC will then face the Minnesota Timberwolves, led by star guard Anthony Edwards, who will begin in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.