Game 7 Showdown: Which Team Has the Edge to Dominate the West and Chase the Title?

The stakes couldn’t be higher as the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder gear up for a do-or-die Game 7 this Sunday afternoon. Picture this: two of the NBA’s fiercest talents—Nikola Jokić, the big man with the skills of a chess grandmaster, going head-to-head against the fleet-footed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a guard redefining the art of scoring and playmaking. It’s a clash loaded with storylines, drama, and the kind of tension that only the playoffs can deliver. The victor won’t just be advancing; they’ll be bulldozing their path into the Western Conference finals to square off with the Timberwolves, laying claim to the title of favorite in what’s shaping up to be a brutally competitive postseason. I’m buzzing with anticipation — we’re about to witness basketball at its most raw and riveting. Ready to dive into why this Game 7 might just be the one that etches itself into NBA lore? Let’s unpack the matchups, the key X’s and O’s, and the eyebrow-raising predictions.

LEARN MORETitus: False. In a playoffs where we’ve seen most of the top dogs fall, I have the Knicks and Timberwolves reaching the NBA Finals.

What’s got you most excited about Game 7?

Jensen: False. If the Timberwolves advance to the NBA Finals, I find Indiana or New York’s chances pretty decent. Plus, in this postseason, we can pretty much throw predictability out the window.Whoever gets one more win is heading to the Western Conference finals. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Whoever gets one more win is heading to the Western Conference finals. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Whoever gets one more win is heading to the Western Conference finals. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Whoever gets one more win is heading to the Western Conference finals. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Whoever gets one more win is heading to the Western Conference finals. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Whoever gets one more win is heading to the Western Conference finals. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Whoever gets one more win is heading to the Western Conference finals. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

AdvertisementHaberstroh: A role player has to become a star. Christian Braun. Russell Westbrook. Julian Strawther (again). Peyton Watson. Likely without Aaron Gordon for Game 7, the Nuggets will have to find a monster performance from an unlikely source. That’ll be tougher in Game 7 on the road, but we should never underestimate the heart of a champion.Rohrbach: It depends. It is true if my prediction is right and the Thunder win Game 7. They have been the league’s best team all season, and they are even more ferocious than the Timberwolves. I cannot say the same about the wounded Nuggets. For them to survive Game 7 would be a surprise. To survive another series would be a miracle. Whoever wins the West will win the Finals, sure, but it isn’t going to be Denver.Haberstroh: Will the real Jalen Williams please stand up? I’m not talking about his teammate Jaylin. I’m talking about the fourth-quarter assassin Jalen Williams who has been one of the best clutch players over the last two seasons. He’s been mostly M.I.A. this series and the Thunder need him to step up after a 3-for-16 showing in Game 6.