The Oklahoma City Thunder secured their place in the Western Conference Finals after a decisive Game 7 victory over the Denver Nuggets, ending the Nuggets’ reign as 2023 champions. The final score of 125-93 highlighted the Thunder’s dominance, with their star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, leading the team with an impressive 35 points. As the Nuggets’ legacy is now a memory, the Thunder’s pursuit of their first-ever NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City continues. The team will now face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference Finals, which are set to start on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are set to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, continuing the league’s unique trend of having multiple champion teams within a short span. For the Knicks, this is their first chance in decades to break their championship drought, which has spanned since 1973. The Pacers, who won their most recent title in the ABA, could be on the verge of another championship, which would break their streak. Commissioner Adam Silver is looking at a historic season with the possibility of seven different teams claiming the Larry O’Brien Trophy in just seven years. This marks the longest such run in NBA history, surpassing the records of Major League Baseball, the NHL, and the NFL, which have all had longer streaks in the past.
Despite the defeat, the Nuggets showed resilience, with key players like Aaron Gordon still contributing. Despite a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Gordon played in Game 7 and managed to score 8 points in 25 minutes. However, these efforts couldn’t stop the Thunder’s momentum, and the season is now coming to an end for 26 of the NBA’s 30 teams. The last four teams standing are now focused on the next round, where the real challenges lie. The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story, and Fox News Digital continues to provide sports coverage on their platform.