Both the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder had their sights set on advancing to the Western Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon as they faced of in Game 7 of their second-round series.
Denver got out to a hot start, leading by five points at the end of the first quarter. things changed quickly in the second quarter and throughout the rest of the game as Oklahoma City was able to dominate their way to a 125-93 victory.
Nikola Jokic during Game 3.
Nikola Jokic after Game 3 vs. the Thunder.
© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
With the victory, the Thunder now advance to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals while the Nuggets’ season is officially over.
It was a hard-fought series overall between the Nuggets and Thunder as both teams were led by the two MVP finalists, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15), Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0), and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2).
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15), Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0), and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2).
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
After Sunday’s game, Jokic sent a clear four-word message regarding Shai after their intense series.
“He's a special player,” Jokic said about Shai after Sunday’s Game 7 matchup.
This is high praise from Jokic and it is also well-deserved as Shai was able to lead the Thunder past the Nuggets and into the next round of the playoffs.
Of course, Jokic deserves credit as well as he did everything he could to will the Nuggets back into the series after falling behind 3-2 after Game 5, but his supporting cast was not able to step up in Game 7 like Shai’s did.
OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2)
OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2)
© Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Shai and the Thunder will now look to get past the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals as they have their sights set on an NBA Finals berth.
For the Nuggets, they now enter a crucial offseason that is likely to be filled with change, starting with filling their openings at the general manager and head coaching positions.
After that, Denver may look to make some changes to their roster to retool around Jokic as they try to return to being a championship contender after being eliminated in the second round in each of the last two seasons.