Denver’s championship dreams crashed and burned Sunday night as the Thunder delivered a knockout blow in Game 7, ending the Nuggets’ hopes of reaching their second Western Conference Finals in three years.
The 125-93 beatdown wasn’t just a loss – it was a statement from the West’s top-seeded Thunder, who showcased why their suffocating defense has terrorized opponents all season.
This wasn’t just any playoff series. It was a showdown between MVP frontrunners that ultimately saw Nikola Jokic contained by Alex Caruso’s relentless defensive pressure.
Jokic managed just 20 points in the decisive game, well below his usual dominance.
There’s a reason Oklahoma City led the league in forced turnovers (17.0 per game) and steals (10.3) during the regular season. Their defensive identity was on full display when it mattered most.
“We definitely need to figure out a way to get more depth,” Jokic said bluntly after the game, where he added only nine rebounds and seven assists – modest numbers by his lofty standards.
The 30-year-old Serbian star pointed to a clear pattern he’s noticed among this year’s successful playoff teams.
“It seems like the teams that have longer rotations, the longer benches, are the ones who are winning. Indiana, OKC, Minnesota,” he explained.
Denver’s lack of reliable bench production became painfully obvious as the series progressed.
“I think we played for so long in such a way, and it’s hard for the guys to step up and especially play against two really good teams, Clippers and OKC,” Jokic continued. “We cannot ask for somebody who didn’t play maybe 20, 30 games to jump in and be good.”
Fatigue also took its toll on the defending champions.
Aaron Gordon, who gutted through an injury in Game 7, highlighted the physical demands of the compressed playoff schedule.
“I would really, really appreciate it if there were a couple of days off in-between games in the playoffs,” Gordon said. “Just to give all these professional athletes one more day of rest and you would see a higher level of basketball.”
As Denver heads into the offseason, the message is clear: deepen the bench or risk falling short again next year.
