'It's Do or Die': OKC Thunder Stars Must Rise to Occasion in Game 7

The Oklahoma City Thunder have one final chance to live up to their one-seed hype and advance to the conference finals. The Denver Nuggets have pushed them to their limit the entire series, with it all coming down to an ever-so-important Game 7 clash.

More than anything, the Thunder need Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to step up with big performances. There's yet to be a game where the three all play well together and if there was a good time for that to happen, it's now.

The effort, concentration and intensity also need to be there for those three. Many small mistakes were made in OKC's Game 6 defeat, whether it was turnovers or bad shots, that led to the loss. Oklahoma City has no more margin for error and those mistakes could lead to their playoff run ending abruptly.

"It's do or die, it's what you live for," Gilgeous-Alexander said following their Game 6 defeat. "Either your dream continues or your dream ends, so you lay it all out there on the floor and live with the results."

Gilgeous-Alexander will need to post his best performance of the playoffs to date. Despite the increased defensive attention he's received and the occasional inability to get to his spots, now is the time for him to take over the game. The same will be expected of Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets and Gilgeous-Alexander will have to bring that same mindset going in.

For Williams and Holmgren, they simply need shots to fall. Neither player has been overly efficient or dominant during the playoffs, which also will need to change. Holmgren finished Game 6 with 14 points, but generally, neither was a huge help to Gilgeous-Alexander.

Nobody expects Oklahoma City to play a perfect game. Denver has done an excellent job during the series to make the offensive side of the ball challenging in multiple ways, especially for those three. But now is the time to step up and rise beyond that, otherwise, they will be sent home.

Oklahoma City has not made it to the Western Conference finals since 2016, a team led by MVP Russell Westbrook. He now has the chance to thwart that dream for OKC on the other side with Denver. He's been a factor all series long for the Nuggets, bringing countless amounts of energy on both sides of the ball.

The battle for the final spot in the Western Conference finals tips off at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, at the Paycom Center.