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The Thunder Have Officially Arrived

Originally posted on The Lead | By Brandon Scobey | Last updated May 19, 2025 2:06 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets tested the young Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder trailed the series 2-1 and had to rally back down double-digits in Game 4.

After a long battle, the Thunder silenced all doubters and dominated Game 7.

In the biggest game of his career, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player on the court. He posted a 35-point, 4-rebound, 4-assist masterpiece, along with 2 steals and a block.

The Thunder outscored Denver by 32 points with SGA on the floor.

Jalen Williams struggled offensively this series, but he scored 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 7. Williams attacked the rim at will and knocked down the majority of his mid-range shots, much like the regular season.

Alex Caruso once again provided the energy the Thunder needed. He finished +40 in his 26 minutes, becoming the third player and first bench player in NBA history to be +40 in a Game 7.

Alex Caruso becomes just the 3rd player in NBA history to be +40 in a Game 7.

He’s the first bench player to do so. pic.twitter.com/JMJG9RTHmn

— Real Sports (@realapp_) May 18, 2025

The Arrival

Back in 2021, at his end-of-season press conference, Sam Presti spoke on the Thunder’s plan to eventually make the postseason and how it wouldn’t happen overnight for a team that was then in the process of rebuilding.

“When we do get back to the postseason, we want it to be an arrival and not an appearance,” Presti said in the end-of-season press conference.

“When we do get back to the postseason, we want it to be an arrival, not an appearance.”

– Sam Presti

just thinking about this today. pic.twitter.com/n1aDhC6uZX

— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) January 3, 2024

What’s Next?

And now, for the first time since the last iteration of the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook-led Thunder team back in 2016, the Oklahoma City Thunder will participate in the Western Conference Finals.

It has been 3,275 days since the Oklahoma City Thunder were in the Western Conference Finals.

Today that changed.

The Thunder have prevailed over the Denver Nuggets and will face Minnesota in the next round. pic.twitter.com/rMp7d5ECBV

— Thunder Lead (@ThunderLead) May 18, 2025

The Thunder are the youngest team to make the Western Conference Finals in NBA history.

The Thunder are still the new kid on the block, but they’ve proven to be mature. It’s a rugged group of men, covered in battle scars from the series against the Nuggets.

The Thunder will play the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves have made back-to-back Western Conference Finals.

When the rebuild first started in 2020 after a Game 7 heartbreak to the Houston Rockets in the bubble, it looked like a long rebuild was coming. Led by a relatively unknown SGA who many wondered if he could be the franchise cornerstone of an organization.

Now, the MVP favorite Gilgeous-Alexander has led the youngest team in the league to a Western Conference finals appearance.

He is looking to solidify his name amongst the greats in his quest for his and this organization’s first NBA title.

This article first appeared on The Lead and was syndicated with permission.

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