Maybe if Aaron Gordon hadn’t been limited by a hamstring strain, the Denver Nuggets could’ve made it a closer game or even beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Maybe. But we will never know.
On the road for Game 7 with Gordon hobbled by an injury that rendered him way less than 100% and should’ve sidelined him, the Nuggets didn’t have enough.
The Thunder moved to the Western Conference finals with a 125-93 victory against Denver, an anticlimactic Game 7 that showed promise early but turned into a Thunder rout late in the second quarter and into the second half.
ANALYSIS: Run, gun and stun. Thunder’s offensive options, suffocating defense too much for Nuggets
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MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with an efficient 35 points on 12-for-19 shooting, plus four assists, three rebounds and three steals, and Jalen Williams had 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
The Thunder used their size, depth, versatility and offensive and defensive power throughout the series, and they made offense difficult for Denver MVP finalist Nikola Jokic.
This was an impressive series for the Thunder, and they took one step further in the playoffs than they did last season. Oklahoma City closed out Game 5 against Denver for a 3-2 series lead and left no doubt in Game 7. The Thunder are learning in real time what’s required to get to the next level, and that’s an encouraging sign.
But they will need to be much better in the conference finals against the Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards.
Both teams are relatively healthy – as healthy as a contender can be at this point in the season – and seeds no longer matter. Minnesota beat the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in five games, dispatched the Golden State Warriors in five (albeit no Steph Curry for the final four games) and now gets the Thunder.
Minnesota has a star in Edwards, Julius Randle is playing outstanding in the postseason, and while the Timberwolves might not be as deep and versatile as Oklahoma City, they still have a strong bench and can go big or small.
It should be a competitive series.
But Oklahoma City – based on its 68 regular-season wins, No. 1 seed and home-court advantage – is favored. The roster was assembled and designed for long-term success which includes competing for a championship. The Thunder have been close, getting to the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in 2012 and the West finals three other times before this season.
Following Durant’s departure in 2016 and Westbrook’s departure in 2019, the Thunder embarked on another rebuild, and executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti, this season’s NBA executive of the year, used trades, free agency and the draft to create the roster. He’s as good as it gets in the front office – not only does he and his staff have an eye for talent but they have a knack of knowing the right combination of players.
With stakes and pressure rising with each game, the Thunder must prove – to themselves and the rest of the league – they can take the next step. That’s the storyline that hangs over this series.
Follow NBA columnist Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thunder facing toughest test yet. Do they have another gear?
