Game 7 Thunder Strike.
SGA & OKC turn up to claim the last ticket to the Conference Finals.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
May 19, 2025
Game 7 Stars: SGA and J-Dub power the Thunder to their first West Finals in nine years
Defense Defined: With everything on the line, OKC’s identity prevailed
Thunder-Wolves: What you need to know for the West Finals
Win-Win: Inside the trade that helped both the Knicks & Wolves reach the Conference Finals
Semifinals In Focus: 8 teams and 8 snapshots that made this year’s Conference Semis unforgettable
BUT FIRST … ⏰
The Conference Finals are officially set…
Chasing History: For the first time since 2009, three of the four teams left in the Conference Finals have a chance to win their first NBA title (Thunder, Wolves, Pacers).
Up Next: Game 1 of the West Finals between the Thunder & Wolves tips off Tuesday in OKC (8:30 ET, ESPN), before the Pacers face the Knicks at MSG to open the East Finals on Wednesday (8 ET, TNT).
1. THUNDER ROLL PAST NUGGETS IN GAME 7, ADVANCE TO WEST FINALS
The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the regular season like no team ever had, posting the greatest point differential in NBA history.
With everything on the line in Sunday’s Game 7, they dominated again.
Thunder 125, Nuggets 93: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35 pts, 12-19 fg, 4 ast, 3 stl) and Jalen Williams (24 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast) combined for 59 points as OKC jumped out to a 60-46 halftime lead and never looked back, punching its ticket to the West Finals. | Recap
Down 24-14 with 1:40 left in the 1st, the Thunder needed a spark in hopes of reaching their first West Finals since 2016 – and their first-time All-Star answered the call.
- Lightning Jolt: After helping trim the deficit to five entering the 2nd quarter, Williams opened the frame with a driving bucket. 48 seconds later, he banked in an and-1 to give OKC its first lead of the game
- Thunder Bolt: OKC outscored Denver 98-67 the rest of the way, including 39-20 in the 2nd quarter, which ended in a 18-5 Thunder run – sending the Paycom Center into a frenzy
- The Final Points Of The Half? A pull-up jumper from Williams, giving him 17 in the quarter on 8-of-11 shooting along with two assists and one steal
- “He was amazing,” said SGA on Williams after the win. “He brought his A-game when we needed it the most.”
Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
Making History: Williams, 24, is just the ninth player in the play-by-play era to score 17+ points in a Game 7 quarter, and the third youngest to do it – trailing only Jamal Murray and Luka Dončić.
But with Murray, Nikola Jokić (20 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) and the 2023 NBA champion Nuggets on the other side – in a Playoffs with a play-by-play record five 20+ point comebacks – OKC’s lead was far from safe.
Until its other All-Star sealed the deal.
- Closing Statement: Denver outscored OKC 61-46 in the 2nd half of Game 6. But in Game 7, it was SGA who set the tone after the recess, opening the half with a steal and slam, followed by two free throws and a 3 to quickly balloon the lead to 23
- That lead never dipped below 20 again, as SGA finished the half with 23 points while OKC’s defense clamped down, earning its largest Game 7 win in franchise history and the seventh largest in NBA history
- “He’s a special player,” said Jokić on SGA – his partner atop the Kia MVP Ladder. “Making his own shots. Separation. Playing at his rhythm. Defensively he’s always stealing the ball, always blocking shots … he’s just always there.”
What’s Next: For the second straight year, the Nuggets’ season ends in Game 7 of the WCSF, while the Thunder will host the Wolves on Tuesday in Game 1 of the West Finals (8:30 ET, ESPN).
2. DEFENSE DEFINED: OKC LOCKS DOWN TO STAY ALIVE
Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
“There’s not many games you wake up in the morning and you know that you’re going to remember the game for the rest of your life,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault postgame. “And Game 7’s one of them.”
“To be able to focus through that and perform the way these guys did today is very impressive.”
To get to Game 7, the Thunder didn’t just rely on their pair of All-Stars offensively — they leaned on a collective defensive effort, one that fueled a franchise-record 68 regular season wins.
And with 48 minutes standing between their historic season coming to an end or reaching even greater heights, their defense rose to the occasion.
- Swarming: Boasting the third-best offense in the NBA this season (120.8 ppg), the Nuggets were held below 95 points just three times. In the WCSF, the Thunder held them below 95 twice
- That includes Sunday, where OKC limited the Nuggets to a Playoff-low 22.2% from 3, forced them into a Playoff-high 22 turnovers and outscored them 39-7 in points off turnovers
- Stifling Surge: OKC matched Denver’s total steals for the game (6) in the 2nd quarter alone and finished with 16 swipes on the day, becoming the first team since 1977 to tally 15+ steals in a Game 7
But it wasn’t just the numbers – it was the collective buy-in. From stars like SGA, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren (13 pts, 11 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), to role players like Lu Dort (6 pts, 2 stl), Cason Wallace (7 pts, 2 stl) and Alex Caruso (11 pts, 3 stl, +40), OKC’s defensive intensity never wavered.
Caruso’s performance was nearly a year in the making, after the Thunder dealt one of their most promising playmakers, Josh Giddey, last June for the two-time NBA All-Defensive vet and 2020 NBA champ.
- And with the season on the line, Caruso came through, becoming just the second reserve since 1997-98 to record a plus-minus of +40 or higher in a Playoff game
- “He’s a player that rises to the occasion,” said SGA on Caruso postgame. “He understands the moment and controls what he can control, and he does that on a very high level.”
Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Caruso’s impact is just one piece of a larger OKC defensive machine that’s only gotten scarier as the stakes have risen.
- Locked In: After posting an NBA-best 106.6 DefRtg in the regular season, OKC has clamped down even tighter in the Playoffs at 101.6 – a five-point difference
- It’s also the first team since the 1982 Lakers to total 110+ steals and 65+ blocks in the first 11 games of a Playoff run
Rare Air: That Lakers squad went on to win the Finals – and OKC’s elite company doesn’t stop there as it’s now one of just four teams in the last 50 years to win 68+ games and reach the Conference Finals.
The First Three Teams? The 73-9 Warriors and the Michael Jordan-led Bulls.
- 2015-16 Warriors: Lost Finals
- 1995-96 Bulls: Won Finals
- 1996-97 Bulls: Won Finals
3. WELCOME TO THE WEST FINALS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
The Thunder and Timberwolves now meet in their pursuits of history, riding superstar guards and two of the league’s best defenses all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder, led by SGA, Williams and Chet Holmgren, are coming off a historic regular season in which they eclipsed the 1971-72 Lakers (+12.3) for the best point differential of all-time (+12.9) – and they’ve showed no signs of slowing down.
- Shai Stays Steady: Gilgeous-Alexander has seven games of 30+ points in the Playoffs, including five in the seven-game triumph over the Nuggets
- All Pluses: SGA is leading the Thunder at +115 in the Playoffs, with second-year standout Cason Wallace one point behind at +114, including his poster jam in Game 7
- A Defensive Star: Wallace is leading the Playoffs with a 92.1 DefRtg (min.15 mpg), while Caruso, at 96.3, is the only other player under 100
Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images
The Wolves, led by superstar Anthony Edwards, have found their stride in the Playoffs, rising from the No. 6 seed to a second straight West Finals.
- On The Prowl: The Wolves compiled the third-best record in the West since March 1 at 17-4 – the Thunder were best at 20-3
- Finding A Way: They’re averaging more points in the clutch than any team remaining, led by Edwards (3.8 pts, 50.0% from 3)
- Strength vs. Strength: Ant faced Lu Dort more than any other defender this season, scoring 19 points on 37.5% FG over 29:32 minutes. He’ll have to get past the tireless Thunder wing this series
- Always A Presence: Jaden McDaniels is leading the Wolves at +84 during the Playoffs, averaging 15.4 ppg on 55.4% shooting
Edwards is 9-7 versus SGA in his career, with Shai averaging 29.8 ppg to Edwards’ 20.9 ppg – including a 2-2 mark this season, as their teams split the season series.
“He’s the MVP,” Ant said of SGA earlier this season. But which superstar will advance to their first NBA Finals?
4. WIN-WIN: KNICKS, WOLVES BOTH BENEFIT BY SWAPPING STARS
David Berding/Getty Images
It’s rare for one trade to mean so much.
Karl Anthony-Towns, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were swapped this offseason, rewriting the future for both the Knicks and Wolves and setting the stage for their bids to reach the 2025 Conference Finals.
Both teams have been transformed by their stars. The Wolves have found more grit and toughness with Randle, winning with defense and strength – 110.8 DefRtg, sixth in the NBA – while the Knicks have realized one of the league’s foremost offensive attacks, using the big KAT to open up space.
Talk Of The Town: A four-time All-Star with the Wolves and their second all-time leading scorer with 13,121 points, Towns has become a treasured pick-and-roll partner for Jalen Brunson in New York, having one of the best seasons of his 10-year career.
- Big Apple Impact: The Knicks’ offensive rating has jumped from 7th to 5th in the league with Towns, whose personal OffRtg increased from 116.3 in 2023-24 to 119.4 this season
- Inside & Out: Towns finished second in the NBA in rebounds per game this year, setting a career-high with 12.8 rpg, while shooting 42.0% from 3 – his best percentage since 2017-18
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Randle has been huge for Minnesota, providing a physical presence and skillful decisions, particularly during its Playoff run.
- Going To Work: Randle’s scoring average has jumped from 18.7 ppg to 23.9 in the Playoffs – second all-time in Wolves history to date
- Defensive Force: Randle kept LeBron James to 40% shooting over 40:23 minutes of matchup time as the Wolves beat the Lakers, then held Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green to 11 combined points over 34:54 versus Golden State
- Tilting The Court: The Wolves have an 115.7 OffRtg with Randle on the floor, which drops to 102.7 without him
- “What turned our season around was his playmaking. His decision-making, playing through him in different spots on the floor,” said coach Chris Finch of Randle. “It’s everything to us.”
DiVincenzo, a college teammate of Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, has added another nonstop motor and floor spacing to an elite Wolves attack.
- Stifling: The 5-man lineup of DiVincenzo, Randle, Edwards, Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels ranks 1st in NetRtg (+34.6) this postseason (min 40 mins)
- Both Ways: That same unit ranks 3rd in DefRtg and 1st in OffRtg
- Playmaker: After shooting just under 40% from 3 this year, DiVincenzo’s averaging a career-high in assists this postseason (3.5)
- Bright Lights Shining: Donte’s also a proven clutch performer, and owner of one of the great clutch shots in Knicks Playoff history.
5. CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS SNAPSHOTS
Four series. Eight Teams. Endless moments.
Before we turn the page to the Conference Finals, let’s relive what was a thrilling Conference Semis through eight defining images.
Jalen Brunson | Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Tyrese Haliburton | David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
Anthony Edwards | Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Nikola Jokić | Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
Donovan Mitchell | Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler III | Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Josh Hart | Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Williams | Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
