Going into the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder were deemed the favorites to win the title. After today’s performance against Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets, nobody doubts their ability to do just that.
In the first quarter, Denver came out hot, scoring an early eight points. Christian Braun led the charge, ending the first quarter with nine points.
Jokic was the focal point of Denver’s offense for the entirety of the first half, but he faced a lot of resistance from the Thunder defense. Alex Caruso was able to play impressive paint defense and give Jokic a hard time getting the ball. Despite these efforts, Jokic still had a big impact in the first half, scoring 17 points. He also tallied six rebounds and three assists.
Aaron Gordon, despite being noticeably gimpy with his leg injury, was also an x-factor player in half one. He chalked eight boards and eight points at halftime.
The story of half one, though, was the final few minutes. The game was as close as 37-35 with seven minutes left in the half. From there, the Thunder capitalized on crucial Denver turnovers to go on a 25-11 run to end the half.
This run was led by Jalen Williams, who was a giant scorer for the Thunder in the first half. With a combo of contested jumpers and explosive break away dunks, Williams tallied 17 points for his team in half one.
Current MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also filled the stat sheet by halftime, tallying 14 points, three boards, three assists, two steals, and a block.
Going into halftime, the Thunder were up 60-46, and in the second half, they only continued to apply the pressure.
When the third quarter started, SGA and company picked up right where they left off. Combining incredible offensive efficiency with Denver’s sloppy turnovers, the Thunder were able to rack up points quickly.
In the second half, OKC went up by as much as 43 points.
SGA led the scoring charge, tallying 35 points on the night. Jalen Williams simmered down in the second half but was still effective, tallying 24 points for the Thunder. Alex Caruso had an impressive performance off the bench, adding 11 points and boasting a +40 plus-minus statline.
For the Nuggets, Jokic led all scorers with 20 points. He also added nine rebounds and seven assists. Christian Braun played his heart out, driving to the basket with intensity and grit. He racked up 19 points for Denver. Jamal Murray had a slower night than he was used to, only adding 13 points on 37.5% shooting.
All in all, the Thunder dominated the Nuggets nearly all game, and the lopsided final score reflected that handsomely. At the end of regulation, OKC beat Denver 125-93.
A consistent critique of this Thunder squad is their “immaturity.” They are often talked about as a young group of inexperienced players who will fold in the face of veterans.
Well, this series just closed the door on that claim.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray had seen eight Game 7s together and won seven. Today, the Thunder’s starting lineup did not hold a single player who had seen more than one Game 7. Despite this inexperience, the Thunder were able to beat the Nuggets by 32 points today.
This rout of an experienced team shows poise that was once doubted by OKC critics. By going out and ripping through a veteran-loaded team like that in a Game 7, the Thunder proved to the league that they are bound for big things.
This game was simply a warning shot.
If the Thunder develop into the perennial playoff team that many are expecting them to, they will just continue to garner playoff experience and utilize that when more big games come in the future. Given their ability to handle the pressure today without that prior experience, the idea of an OKC team with a few years of playoff experience under their belt is truly terrifying. Every team in the NBA should be on high alert.
With that being said, there doesn’t seem to be a team in the way of disrupting the Thunder’s momentum right now. The Timberwolves don’t match up particularly well with OKC’s athleticism, and neither Eastern Conference team would be able to shut down the Thunder’s offensive prowess.
Bank on OKC to bring it all home this year.
OKC has a giant championship window ahead of them, and this year could start a historic run for them. With a roster riddled with young talent, they can only go up from here; expect them to do just that, and hoist an NBA Championship trophy in a few weeks.
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