Nuggets vs. Thunder. Nikola Jokić vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Game 7! Sunday’s high-stakes showdown (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) will conclude a dramatic second round of the NBA playoffs. Who will move on to the Western Conference finals to face the Timberwolves? Let’s break it down.
What’s got you most excited about Game 7?
Ben Rohrbach: Nikola Jokić vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s two leading MVP candidates each of the past two seasons, waging war in a Game 7. What’s not to like? One is a bruiser, the other a surgeon. It is a clash of styles between basketball’s best big man and its best guard. And both of them rarely disappoint.
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Tom Haberstroh: The desperation. At stake: the Thunder could be the winningest team to miss the conference finals; the Nuggets don’t want to be a second-round out — again — especially after witnessing a triple-double season from Nikola Jokić. On top of that, could we get an MVP ceremony before the game, which would tighten the screws even more? As the NCAA tournament shows us every year, there’s nothing better than hoops with do-or-die stakes.
Dan Titus: The one-day break, after a nightly hoops marathon since April 18, is torture. But it’ll be worth the wait because we get two MVP finalists going toe-to-toe for the lone Game 7 of the conference semifinals. Will Denver’s unshakable resilience prevail? Or, is the young Thunder squad ready to seize the moment? It’s the kind of high-stakes drama that makes the NBA playoffs must-see TV.
Morten Stig Jensen: It’s the MVP angle for me. Simplistic, maybe, but I’m a sucker for playoff series where the two leading candidates go head-to-head. And now we get a seventh game between Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Give me all of the drama, and all of the narratives afterward.
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Jason Owens: What’s not to be excited about? The NBA’s best team seeks its postseason breakthrough against the former champions. The presumed MVP vs. the best player in the world. The winner will emerge as the favorite in the eyes of many to win the NBA championship. This is the stuff of NBA playoff lore.
What’s the biggest key for the Thunder in Game 7?
Haberstroh: Will the real Jalen Williams please stand up? I’m not talking about his teammate Jaylin. I’m talking about the fourth-quarter assassin Jalen Williams who has been one of the best clutch players over the last two seasons. He’s been mostly M.I.A. this series and the Thunder need him to step up after a 3-for-16 showing in Game 6.
Owens: Getting Jalen Williams going. SGA’s gonna get his. OKC’s bench mob of Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams and Aaron Wiggins will collectively deliver. But Jalen Williams’ contributions in this series have been erratic at best, with his six-point effort playing a big role in Thursday’s Game 6 loss. If the All-Star steps up alongside his teammates, OKC will be tough to beat.
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Jensen: Is it too simple to say “make shots”? This Thunder team has severely struggled behind the long line, and while their issues don’t end there, let’s not pretend as if this isn’t a major reason for why they even find themselves in a seventh game. Swing the ball, seek the corners, and let that bad boy fly.
Titus: The rebounding battle. If the Nuggets keep this competitive, it’ll be because of their rebounding and generating second-chance opportunities. In this series, the Thunder are allowing 19.7 second-chance points in their losses compared to just 12 second-chance points in their wins. It’ll take a group effort, as Isaiah Hartenstein will have his hands full with Jokić, but if the Thunder keep pace on the glass, that’ll put them in an advantageous position to win.
Rohrbach: Can Jalen Williams answer the bell as a second option? This was the biggest question facing the young Thunder from the moment the postseason began, and concern about the All-Star forward’s impact has only grown, as he has shot 33.7% from the field for the series. They say role players play better at home, but the Thunder need Williams to be far more than that to achieve their ultimate goal.
What’s the biggest key for the Nuggets in Game 7?
Jensen: Jokić needs to be Jokić, and maybe more importantly: The supporting cast needs to be ready, and effective. We can’t have a 4-for-17 performance from Jamal Murray, and seven total points from Michael Porter Jr. Those three, plus Aaron Gordon (if he plays), need to give the Nuggets a solid 90-100 points, as well as a high defensive output.
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Rohrbach: Health. Aaron Gordon’s status is in doubt, as he battles a hamstring strain. Michael Porter Jr.’s shoulder is wrapped in bandages. Jamal Murray played through an illness in Game 6. Left foot inflammation cost Russell Westbrook a game earlier in the playoffs. These Nuggets only have so many options, and most of them are going through it right now. How much do they have left in them for a road Game 7?
Whoever gets one more win is heading to the Western Conference finals. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
(AAron Ontiveroz via Getty Images)
Titus: I’ll follow Jokić’s lead and say ‘defense and details.’ Dictating the pace and protecting the rock is paramount. The supporting cast is key. Before the Game 6 flurry, Braun and Murray were shooting 33.5% and 39.5%, respectively, from the field in this series. With injuries building and opportunity knocking, role players like Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson have to make their presence felt.
Owens: Finding help for Nikola Jokić. More times than not, Jokić has performed in these playoffs like his three-time MVP self. That hasn’t always translated to wins. Denver’s formula for success involves one or more of Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and the bench stepping up. A big Jamal Murray game is always good news for Denver.
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Haberstroh: A role player has to become a star. Christian Braun. Russell Westbrook. Julian Strawther (again). Peyton Watson. Likely without Aaron Gordon for Game 7, the Nuggets will have to find a monster performance from an unlikely source. That’ll be tougher in Game 7 on the road, but we should never underestimate the heart of a champion.
Game 7 prediction! Who’s advancing to the Western Conference finals: Thunder or Nuggets?
Titus: Thunder. With Gordon dealing with a hamstring injury and MPJ playing with one arm, it’s too much to overcome on the road, against such a stifling and stingy defense.
Haberstroh: Thunder. If Gordon can’t give it a go, I think the mountain will be too steep for the Denver squad to climb. The Thunder will probably unleash Alex Caruso and have him wreak havoc for 40-plus minutes on the short-handed Nuggets. If this game was in Denver, I might feel differently.
Rohrbach: Thunder. They are the deeper team, and at home that will make the difference.
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Owens: Thunder. This series has been as even as it gets, with the teams playing to a 5-5 stalemate dating back to the regular season. Margins will be thin, and an injured or even limited Aaron Gordon could prove too much for a shallow Nuggets roster against the deeper Thunder. Oklahoma City’s the pick.
Jensen: Ah, another Sophie’s Choice. Look, I’m just approaching this game ready for any possible scenario. If you tell me the Thunder win by 40, I could see it. If you tell me they win by 1, that’s perfectly reasonable. Same goes for Denver. But since I’m being a coward right now, I’m going to say Denver in a close one, fully aware I might look like a moron.
True or False: The winner of Game 7 will be the 2025 NBA champion.
Owens: True. The top challengers in the East are done. The Thunder are the best team in basketball. If they win, they remain the clear favorites. If the Nuggets win, they’ll advance with the core of a roster that won a title two seasons ago, including the best player in the game. None of the remaining teams boast that pedigree, though the Timberwolves may have something to say about that.
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Titus: False. In a playoffs where we’ve seen most of the top dogs fall, I have the Knicks and Timberwolves reaching the NBA Finals.
Haberstroh: True, if it’s OKC. But if the Nuggets get hot and steal a Game 7 in OKC, I’m worried about Gordon’s hamstring injury that could keep him out a chunk, if not all, of the Western Conference finals, which begin on Tuesday. In that case, I’d go with the rested Wolves.
Jensen: False. If the Timberwolves advance to the NBA Finals, I find Indiana or New York’s chances pretty decent. Plus, in this postseason, we can pretty much throw predictability out the window.
Rohrbach: It depends. It is true if my prediction is right and the Thunder win Game 7. They have been the league’s best team all season, and they are even more ferocious than the Timberwolves. I cannot say the same about the wounded Nuggets. For them to survive Game 7 would be a surprise. To survive another series would be a miracle. Whoever wins the West will win the Finals, sure, but it isn’t going to be Denver.
This news was originally published on this post .
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