Thunder conquer nerves to topple Nuggets and reach West finals - ESPN

OKLAHOMA CITY — One of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's defining characteristics is the preternatural calm he carries himself with, no matter the situation on the court.

But during the two days the Oklahoma City Thunder star had off between Game 6 and 7 of their Western Conference second round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Gilgeous-Alexander experienced something rare — for him anyway.

«I was nervous, to be honest,» Gilgeous-Alexander said after scoring a game-high 35 points in the Thunder's 125-93 win over the Nuggets, to give the franchise its first conference finals appearance since 2016. «Just knowing what was on the line. ...To know if you don't bring your 'A' game it could all be over. But I think that nervousness motivated me.»

The Thunder showed signs of that nervousness early in the game, missing 10 of their first 15 shots to fall behind 21-10 on Aaron Gordon's 3-point play with 5:31 to go in the first quarter. That Gordon was even in the game was a minor miracle, considering he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain at the end of Game 6, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. That level of hamstring strain usually keeps a player out 4-6 weeks, not 48 hours.

But Gordon was determined to play and contribute however he could. Early on, it seemed that gave the Nuggets an emotional and physical lift as the Thunder, the NBA's youngest team, battled through their nerves.

But eventually the Thunder found their way back to the dominant, high-pressure defensive team that won 68 games — the sixth-most regular season wins in NBA history.

«I think the nerves were natural,» Gilgeous-Alexander said. «We actually shot horribly to start the game. But I knew we were getting really good looks and if we just stuck with it, we