OKC Grows Up Fast, Topples Former Champs in a Heavyweight Classic

Daniel Waddleton

May 18, 2025

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have defeated the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in Game 7 to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.

In a series full of massive swings, the Thunder rode their all-time-level defense and electric home crowd to finally put away the former champs. They forced 23 Denver turnovers and turned those into a staggering 37 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, despite a turbulent series adjusting to Denver’s zone defense designed to slow him down, found his rhythm when it mattered most. He capped off the series with a 35-point performance on 12-of-19 shooting. Jalen Williams, who also had his ups and downs offensively, weathered the storm to deliver 24 points, 7 assists, and continued his consistent high-level defense.

Despite opening the series as -700 favorites, the series was anything but easy against the three-time MVP in Nikola Jokic and Denver’s championship core. The Nuggets stole Game 1 in Oklahoma City with a 17–6 run in the final 4:30, capped by an Aaron Gordon game-winning three in transition. They took the lead again after Game 3, despite an underwhelming outing from Jokic, behind timely shot-making from Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Gordon.

Yet, the story of the series always came back to Oklahoma City’s defense. In Game 4, when it felt like Denver was starting to pull away and capture this series, the Thunder clamped down late to take control. In a pivotal Game 5, tied at 100 with 2:30 left, OKC went on a 12–5 run thanks to SGA’s shot making and their suffocating defensive pressure.

Game 7 was the culmination of that identity. A thin Denver team, now battling significant injuries to both Porter Jr. and Gordon, simply had nothing left. The Thunder’s defense finally broke the bone they’d been gnawing at all series.

This series was a fascinating chess match. Denver leaned heavily on zone -- the most we’ve seen from them since this core was formed -- aiming to shrink the floor on SGA, cut off his driving lanes, and dare OKC’s role players to hit shots or make plays off advantages. They even managed to play Lu Dort off the floor at times despite his elite defense, due to his struggles as a shooter and second-side creator.

This defense placed a heavy offensive burden on Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who nearly buckled under the weight. They had their moments -- Williams in Games 3 and 7, Holmgren in Game 6 -- but their overall consistency in those roles fell short of what OKC likely hoped for. Ironically, two of the biggest swing factors ended up being Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace -- players most often associated with defense -- who stepped up by knocking down spot-up shots and getting into the paint and finding cutters. .

Overall, I thought Denver’s game plan was a success given their personnel. They held the Thunder five points below their regular season offensive rating. If not for their own turnovers, that number would've been even lower. Players like Gordon, Christian Braun, and even Peyton Watson (in limited minutes) should be highlighted for their defensive impact, crashing the glass, jumping passing lanes, and providing strong weakside help in the zone.

The even bigger chess match was on the other end: how to slow Nikola Jokic. In Game 1, the Thunder’s approach -- featuring Holmgren as the primary defender for long stretches in solo big looks -- didn’t work. Jokic dropped 42 points, 22 rebounds, and 6 assists, bullying OKC’s slender lineups and feasting on second-chance opportunities.

Over the next few games, the Thunder adjusted. They began deploying Jaylin Williams alongside Holmgren when Hartenstein went to the bench, allowing OKC to keep a more sturdy big on Jokic and allowing Holmgren to play as a roamer. That roaming presence didn’t just impact Jokic’s looks at the rim, it made life harder for everyone on the floor.

Part of OKC's plan was to negate Jokic’s ability to slip into space and receive pocket passes in the middle of the floor on pick and roll actions. They relied on their elite point-of-attack defenders to fight over screens and stay connected to ball handlers, while Holmgren sagged near the paint to deter drives to the rim. Whoever was defending Jokic would rarely ever leave him to help on the ball handler.

When Denver would look to generate offense via off-ball actions -- split action, pin downs, and flares -- the Thunder simply switched them. With so many versatile defenders on the court, those switches never created mismatches. Even when they could free up a cutter and Jokic attempted to make the pass, OKC’s defenders were crowding his vision, jumping passing lanes, and turning defense into offense.

Jokic posted some of the least efficient playoff outings of his career from games 2-4, and the Nuggets -- aside from a Game 3 where they simply made a huge number of tough shots -- looked like a team running out of answers. The Thunder's defense wasn’t just slowing down Denver’s best player, it was smothering the ecosystem that made him great.

Then, of course, the supercomputer recalculated.

With the series tied 2–2, Jokic dropped a 44-15-5 masterpiece in Oklahoma City in Game 5. He attacked quicker, found his outside shot again, and began manipulating OKC’s coverages again. Denver started hunting Holmgren via inverted screens from Gordon, Westbrook, or Watson, drawing switches and allowing Jokic to go to work with the other big out of the play.

Crucially, Games 5 and 6 featured Jokic’s lowest turnover totals of the series with just three combined. He stopped forcing passes against OKC’s long, twitchy defenders and became more selective with his reads. He knew who he could challenge (Isaiah Joe) and who he couldn’t (Caruso, Jalen Williams).

Then came Game 7, and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault played his final card.

OKC went small again, just like Game 1, with Holmgren as the lone big. But this time, they added a twist Denver could've never saw coming. They gave the primary assignment on Jokic to the 6'5 Caruso, giving up over 100 pounds. It might sound absurd on the surface, but it ended up being a brilliant final act.

Once Caruso checked in, the game flipped. The Nuggets led 21–10 when he entered; they were outscored by 42 the rest of the way. Caruso finished a +40, and despite raw plus-minus not always being the most reliable stat, this time it passed the eye test.

He fronted Jokic in the post, using his quickness to get around him and deny entry passes. With help loaded behind him, Denver couldn’t lob it over the top. They became obsessed with just trying to get Jokic the ball in a "mismatch" instead of running offense, in turn leading to turnovers, bad shots late in the clock, and offensive fouls from Jokic. When Murray and Jokic tried their two-man actions, OKC started switching them -- something they hadn’t shown all series -- because Caruso could credibly defend both ends of the action. It completely broke Denver’s rhythm.

It was a legendary adjustment in a legendary series. A second-round playoff matchup hasn’t felt this big since 2019, when the Warriors and Rockets clashed in a showdown that felt like the NBA Finals playing out in early May.

This one had the same energy, like the winner wasn’t just advancing, but clearing the one true obstacle on the path to a title. Now we’ll see if this Thunder team, fresh off a 68-win season and a +13.5 net rating, has what it takes to win two more rounds and complete one of the greatest seasons in NBA history.