Starting 5, May 18: Thunder, Nuggets clash in Game 7 showdown
Thunder. Nuggets. Game 7. 3:30 ET, ABC
Which team will meet the Wolves in the Western Conference Finals?
Game 7 In 1 Minute: Everything you need to know entering today’s matchup
How We Got Here: The year-long paths that brought Denver & OKC to today’s game
SGA Vs. Joker: The two Kia NBA MVP finalists get the Game 7 spotlight today
5 Potential X-Factors: Injury status, Game 7 experience, depth and more
Game 7 History: Look back at some classic Game 7 moments and games
Game 7 Is Here: Denver and OKC clash for the 11th and final time this season (3:30 ET, ABC) with a trip to the West Finals on the line.
WNBA Saturday: Caitlin Clark’s triple-double (20 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast) led Indy past Chicago, Breanna Stewart (25 pts) helped New York open its title defense with a win over A’ja Wilson (31 pts, 16 reb) and Vegas, while Satou Sabally (27 pts) led Phoenix past Seattle.
The stakes are the same for the Thunder and Nuggets entering today’s Game 7 (3:30 ET, ABC).
After a back-and-forth series that’s been tied at 1-1, 2-2 and now 3-3, this Western Conference Semifinals will be decided in just 48 minutes of high-stakes hoops (and maybe a few more if overtime is needed).
Looking for which team has an edge, Playoff history offers a mixed message (all stats below entering 2025 Playoffs).
The Timberwolves await the winner of this game, with the Western Conference Finals set to tip off on Tuesday (8:30 ET, ESPN). With Minnesota as the 6-seed, Game 1 will be played at either 1-seed Oklahoma City or 4-seed Denver.
The road to today’s Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals began a year ago when both the Nuggets and Thunder were eliminated from the 2024 Playoffs in this same round.
Both teams entered the offseason coming off a disappointing finish and looking for ways to bounce back in 2025.
Once the regular season tipped off, OKC raced to the front of the West. The Thunder were a top-two team in just one week and held the top spot in the conference every single day from Nov. 25 until the end of the regular season on April 13.
Once the Playoffs began, the Thunder picked up right where they left off in the regular season, sweeping Memphis in the first round, including the largest Game 1 win (+51) in Playoff history.
On the other hand, the Nuggets needed all seven games to eliminate the Clippers, winning the decisive Game 7 on their home floor. It was Denver’s second straight 7-game series (this one against OKC makes it three straight).
All of that led us to this series, which has played out like a heavyweight bout, with the teams trading haymakers over the first six games.
Two of the season’s defining players – Oklahoma City’s scoring champ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s do-it-all maestro Nikola Jokić – meet one final time to decide whose historic season gets to continue.
The stage is set for greatness to make itself known as both players look to lead their teams to the Western Conference Finals.
Last year, both SGA and Jokić went home in the second round. They’ve rebounded with world-class seasons, finishing as two of the three Kia NBA MVP Finalists, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
This is NBA history, written at the highest level. With today’s Game 7 (3:30 ET, ABC), two of the game’s greats will face off with legacy on the line.
Over the past two weeks, we’ve seen two evenly-matched teams trying to find an edge in this series.
Each has an MVP finalist that has delivered at an elite level – Jokić (29.8 ppg, 14.7 rpg, 5.7 apg, 58.0 TS%, 29.9 USG%) and SGA (28.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, 60.6 TS%, 28.6 USG%).
While the focus of both teams begins on those stars, Game 7s can often turn from an unsung hero, a player beyond the marquee stars that raises their game to meet the stakes.
Here’s a look at five potential X-factors that could help determine Game 7.
Today marks the 154th Game 7 in NBA history – and the third of this postseason.
Before we add a new chapter to Game 7 lore, let’s take a look back at some of the greatest Game 7 moments ever – presented in chronological order:
- 2024 West Semis (Timberwolves 98, Nuggets 90): We mentioned it earlier, but the Wolves trailed by 20 in the 3rd quarter before mounting the biggest comeback in Game 7 history to advance