Subscribe
Follow Us
OKLAHOMA CITY — Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman shook the Oklahoma City Thunder's proverbial hand after succumbing to a 125-93 Game 7 blowout at the Paycom Center. As the Nuggets head toward their offseason and the Thunder switch their focus to the Minnesota Timberwolves in preparation for the Western Conference Finals, Adelman gave Oklahoma City its flowers for cruising to a 4-3 series win.
Adelman gave the Thunder credit for their uniqueness, depth, and overall winning culture, per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix.
“It’s a unique group. The way they put the team together feels like a winning formula. It’s not just talent. There’s a lot of substance to their game. Guys understand their roles.”
Five Thunder players scored in double figures through three quarters in Game 7. Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 35 points on 12-of-19 attempts, Jalen Williams finished with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting, seven assists, and five rebounds, and Chet Holmgren notched a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds).
Nuggets coach David Adelman watched Nikola Jokic lead his team with 20 points on 5-of-9 attempts, nine rebounds, and seven assists, Christian Braun added 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, and Jamal Murray finished with 13 points.
Alex Caruso's ‘relentless' take on Thunder guarding Nikola Jokic
Thunder veteran Alex Caruso reflected on defending Nuggets' Nikola Jokic in Game 7. After holding Jokic to 20 points in a 32-point victory, Caruso and the Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
After the win, Caruso addressed the level of compete Jokic pushed him to in Sunday's Game 7.
“He's a phenomenal player. His resume speaks for itself, but he's a different matcup because he does so many different things to get others involved and influence the game. So, for me, it's just about competing,” Caruso said. “There’s nothing to save it for. It’s Game 7, right? So, you’re either going to the next round or your summer’s starting. So, for me, it was just about being relentless with my energy. The effort to make it tough on him.
“And obviously, the guys around me did a good job of helping and swarming because I'm not doing that on my own. But just making stuff tough on him, understanding how the game was going to be called, understanding the flow of the game, where you can be physical, where you can't, and just trying to make him work for stuff,” Caruso concluded.
Caruso and the Thunder will host the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals at the Paycom Center on Tuesday.
