It took every ounce of grit, every late-night film session, and probably a few extra ice baths, but the Oklahoma City Thunder — the league’s youngest contender by a mile — finally broke through a playoff wall that had haunted them since Kevin Durant packed up for the Bay.

For the first time since 2016, the Thunder are back in the Western Conference Finals — and this time it doesn’t feel like they’re just happy to be here. It feels like they belong.

And what’s next is coming fast. The Minnesota Timberwolves, a team with their own mix of hunger, youth, and bruising physicality, are already lacing them up for Tuesday night. If Denver was a mental test, Minnesota’s going to be a muscle test. But after what we just saw? After the Thunder took Denver’s best punches and still came out swinging? You’d be crazy to count them out now.

A Series That Aged the Thunder Fast

Plenty of folks penciled OKC into the conference finals back when they wrapped up a 68–14 regular season, but the path turned rocky the second Denver limped back into town — literally and figuratively. This was a Nuggets team that nobody even expected to be in this position after they shockingly fired head coach Michael Malone with just a handful of games left in the regular season. It looked like a team in disarray. They were banged up, thin, and inconsistent. But somehow, they pulled themselves together in time to make another playoff push, and with Nikola Jokic still doing Nikola Jokic things, they carried that familiar “been here, done that” swagger into the series.

This series was more of a backyard brawl — seven games filled with half-court slogs, momentum swings, and 149 combined turnovers. It was the kind of gritty, uncomfortable series that forces a young team to grow up on the fly. And that’s exactly what the Thunder did. No shortcuts. No easy paths. Just a No. 1 seed learning what it takes to actually be one when it matters most.

Game 1 – Nuggets 121, Thunder 119 (DEN leads 1‑0)

Denver stole home‑court behind a vintage 42‑point, 22‑rebound monster night from Jokic and a frantic final minute capped by Aaron Gordon’s baseline dagger. OKC coughed up a nine‑point lead in the last three minutes, triggering all the chatter about their age that would echo for a week.

Game 2 – Thunder 149, Nuggets 106 (Series tied 1‑1)

Apparently, nothing cures jitters quite like a 43‑point statement win. OKC’s defense forced 19 turnovers and the offense rained a franchise‑playoff‑record 23 threes. The lopsided score masked a worrying sign for Denver: Jamal Murray tweaked his knee, planting a seed of worry that would blossom later.

Game 3 – Nuggets 113, Thunder 104 (OT) (DEN leads 2‑1)

Denver’s best “team” performance of the postseason. Murray gutted out 27 points, Michael Porter Jr. looked resurrected with 21, and the Nuggets survived Shai’s late equalizer to grind out overtime on tired legs. It was also the night Alex Caruso logged the first of many surprise minutes fronting Jokic — file that wrinkle away.

Game 4 – Thunder 92, Nuggets 87 (Series tied 2‑2)

Basketball purists called it ugly; OKC called it progress. Down seven with five minutes left, the Thunder ripped off a 17‑5 closing burst sparked by Jalen Williams’ baseline steal‑and‑slam. A 2‑2 split heading back to Oklahoma City felt like a win for the younger side.

Game 5 – Thunder 112, Nuggets 105 (OKC leads 3‑2)

If any moment foreshadowed the dethroning, it was surviving Jokic’s 44‑point haymaker. Gilgeous‑Alexander answered with 36 of his own, but the real heroes were Isaiah Hartenstein (13 rebounds, endless bruises) and a bench brigade that chased every 50‑50 ball like rent was due. The champs looked gassed; the kids looked galvanized.

Game 6 – Nuggets 119, Thunder 107 (Series tied 3‑3)

Credit Denver for one last stand. Murray threw up before tip, took an IV at halftime, then still found 25 points while the OKC offense clanked to 9‑of‑36 from deep. Aaron Gordon dragged a Grade‑2 hamstring around for 37 minutes, MPJ finally hit something, and the narrative swung again — briefly.

Game 7 – Thunder 125, Nuggets 93 (OKC wins 4‑3)

Oklahoma City detonated a 39‑point second quarter, forced 22 turnovers, and ripped off 27 layups/dunks. Shai dropped 35 with surgical efficiency; Jalen Williams poured in 24; Caruso annoyed Jokic into five giveaways. Ballgame over. Nuggets' season over. Era over? We’ll see.

Thunder Passed Their Toughest Test Yet

1. Resilience Isn’t Just a Buzzword

Twice in the series, the Nuggets had the upper hand, and twice the Thunder came storming back. That Game 5 survival act — where they somehow held off a 44-point nuclear game from Jokic — was the kind of gritty win you usually see from a seasoned team that’s been there before. It didn’t feel like something a young squad is supposed to pull off. And yet, here they were, scrapping like vets.

Even Shai, who almost never shows nerves, admitted he woke up feeling anxious before Game 7. But instead of letting that pressure mess with his rhythm, he went out and dropped 35 like it was just another Tuesday. That’s growth. That’s learning how to play through the nerves instead of pretending they’re not there. And it’s a big reason why OKC’s still playing.

2. The Possession Game Is Their Superpower

Mark Daigneault’s group might not have a bunch of big, bruising bodies up front, but man, they use their length and energy about as well as any team in the league. They’re chaos artists — packing the paint, flying around with active hands, and turning defense into offense before the other team can even blink.

That kind of disruptive style doesn’t just look good on film, it pays off in the numbers. Over the seven-game series, they scored 86 more points off turnovers and put up 24 more shot attempts than Denver. That’s a huge deal — especially on nights when the outside shots aren’t falling. It’s not always about hitting threes. Sometimes it’s just about getting more chances than your opponent, and OKC made sure of that every night.

3. Caruso & Hartenstein: Deadline Gold

Sam Presti made two moves last summer that didn’t exactly blow up Twitter when they happened — but wow, are they paying off now. Adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein wasn’t flashy, but it might’ve been the smartest thing OKC did all year.

Caruso, all 6-foot-5 of him, spent 40 half-court possessions in Game 7 pestering Jokic like a mosquito that wouldn’t go away. And somehow, it worked. Hartenstein, meanwhile, used every bit of his size to let the Thunder stay honest defensively. They didn’t have to constantly throw double-teams at Jokic, which helped them stay out of foul trouble and keep their rotations clean.

4. Denver Simply Ran Out of Bodies

You could just see it — Denver was running on fumes. Gordon was hobbling around on a bad hamstring, Murray was literally sick to his stomach, and their bench? Outside of Christian Braun, it didn’t feel like there was anyone Michael Malone truly trusted to give his starters real rest.

Jokic was still Jokic — he averaged 28, 14, and 6  — but by Game 7, even he looked worn down. OKC had Caruso draped all over him like a backpack, with help defenders ready to crash the moment he turned his shoulder. The Nuggets just didn’t have the legs left to power through it.

Timberwolves, Tensions, and a Trip to the Finals on the Line

When it comes to storylines, you can’t draw it up much better than this. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are two of the league’s brightest young stars. Shai’s coming off a series where he took down the three-time, reigning MVP.

On the other side, Edwards has been a wrecking ball in the postseason, having already knocked out names like Durant, LeBron, Luka, and now Curry (though injured). But this series is going to be their biggest test yet.

The timing’s wild, too. Minnesota handled Golden State in five games and has been resting since Wednesday. OKC, on the other hand, just wrapped up a grueling seven-gamer on Sunday and will have to turn around and play Game 1 on Tuesday.

X‑and‑O Nuggets

One of the big things to watch in this series will be how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander handles Minnesota’s zone defense. Back in March, Chris Finch threw a trap-heavy 2-3 zone at OKC, and it worked like a charm — Shai was held to just 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting, and the Thunder as a team looked rattled. Their outside shots weren’t falling, and the Wolves completely dictated the tempo.

It was a regular season game, sure, but you better believe Finch took notes. There’s a good chance OKC gets another dose of that zone early in the series, and how they respond — whether that’s Shai getting more aggressive, or guys like Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace hitting timely shots — could swing a couple of games.

Then there’s the Chet Holmgren angle. He’s heading back to his hometown of Minneapolis with a chance to play on the biggest stage of his young career just 15 minutes from where he grew up. It’s a cool story, but it’s also going to be a massive challenge.

Chet’s going to be thrown into the fire against Rudy Gobert. Holmgren’s length and timing will be key in contesting lobs and protecting the rim, but he’s also going to have to hold his own physically. This isn’t the finesse-driven matchup he had against Jokic; it’s going to be more bruises, more banging, and a whole lot more wrestling for position.

More Growing Up to Do

The Thunder didn’t just outlast Denver; they leveled up in front of our eyes. They learned how to steady themselves after a blown lead, how to answer a superstar’s outburst, how to weaponize length without fouling, and how to throw a knock‑out punch when the moment begged for it. That’s the kind of team that can turn a fun regular‑season story into a banner threat.

Minnesota will bring a totally different test — bigger bodies, slower pace, another Alpha sporting a commercial‑ready smile. But if OKC carries even half of Sunday night’s defensive ferocity into the next round, Paycom Center might need to start clearing space in the rafters.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.