After leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a dominant 125-93 Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander described the emotions of reaching the Western Conference finals for the first time in his career.
The All-NBA guard posted 35 points on 63% shooting. Oklahoma City used a 39-20 second-quarter burst to turn an 11-point deficit into a halftime lead, then never looked back.
Gilgeous-Alexander credited their transition offense, fueled by turnovers, for sparking the blowout. “That’s when we’re at our best,” he said. “It starts defensively and then we’re able to play in space with the athletes and speed that we have.”
The Thunder forced 22 turnovers and outscored Denver by 32 points, with Alex Caruso posting a game-high +40 off the bench.
Asked about preparing mentally for such a high-stakes matchup, Gilgeous-Alexander said he cut off outside noise. “I turned my phone off honestly. No cap,” he said. “I knew this moment was coming… I think I did a pretty good job handling that and came out ready to play today.”
With the Timberwolves next on the schedule, Gilgeous-Alexander made it clear he’s not looking ahead. “We play a really good team in the Timberwolves and we gotta try to beat them four times before they beat us four times,” he said. “That’s all I’m worried about.”
Williams echoed the team’s focus on staying grounded. “We are where our feet are,” he said. “No matter what was going on, we stuck together… that’s what makes us a good team.”
Game 1 of the Western Conference finals tips off Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
