After waiting for 9 years, they finally came back. 4-3: Go to the Western Conference Final again, the whole game was revelled, the boss scored 35 points

After nine years of tempering, the new generation of Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals

In the early morning of May 19, 2025, the American basketball hall staged a shocking epic showdown. In the life-and-death battle in the Western Conference semi-finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder ended the Denver Nuggets' defense with a devastating momentum, and opened the door to the Western Conference Finals again after 3,285 days and nights. When the scoreboard was frozen in the Thunder to secure the victory with double digits, the Chesapeake Energy Arena turned into a boiling ocean, with more than 20,000 fans wearing dark blue jerseys witnessing it with the coaching staff on the sidelines. The young guards, with an average age of only 24.3, are writing the prelude to the league's new era.

The evolutionary path of breaking out of the cocoon and becoming a butterfly. As the youngest playoff team in the league, the "Fleet of the Future" built by the Thunder management has shown amazing maturity this season. During the regular season, they topped the league with a record of 68 wins and 14 losses, and their terrifying performance, which ranked among the top three in offense and defense efficiency, completely subverted the outside world's perception of the youth army. In the first round of the series swept the Memphis Grizzlies, the team showed tactical execution and stability at critical moments, which has already shown the championship appearance.

But the real test comes from the seventh battle in the Western Conference semi-finals. Faced with the defending champion with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the new generation of the Thunder has undergone a transformation from youth to maturity. The first six games of the series are like a roller coaster - the regret of losing 2 points in the first game, the ecstasy of slaughtering the city with 43 points in the second game, and the thrilling thrilling of Tianwangshan's dangerous passing - these ups and downs finally tempered the team's steel will. When G6's away hatred dragged the suspense into the ultimate decisive battle, everyone was questioning whether this young army could withstand the heavy pressure of tiebreakers. The kingly demeanor at the moment of life and death

The beginning of the decisive night of the decisive battle seems to confirm the concerns of the outside world. Jokic led the Nuggets to a fantastic start of 11-2, with Serbian center in the interior, and rookie Braun hit a high-difficulty jump shot in succession. In a critical moment, two veterans on the Thunder's bench stood up: 34-year-old Westbrook used a signature breakthrough to tear open the defense line, while 32-year-old Watson used an iron-blooded defense, and scored a 19-8 attack wave at the end of the first quarter to close the gap to 5 points. The turning point of

came as scheduled in the next quarter. The Thunder Youth Army suddenly started the "Death Five Smalls" mode. Jaylen Williams' lightning-like conversion attack combined with Isaiah Joe's accurate three-pointer, instantly completing the score overtake. When the Nuggets tried to stabilize their position with Gordon's three-pointer, the Thunders Line Group suppressed the opponent's shooting percentage to 34.7% with a textbook-level switch. Before the end of the half, Dort hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in the bottom corner, expanding his lead to 14 points, completely igniting the stadium. After the storm of youth, the Thunder completely controlled the rhythm of the game. The leading star Alexander started "kill mode", scoring 17 points in seven consecutive singles, and his signature emergency stop mid-range jump shot collapsed the Nuggets' defensive system. The third quarter became a watershed in the game. The Thunder won 18 points in a single quarter, widening the gap to 29 points. When Jokic was replaced at the end of the third quarter, the Serbian lowered his head and wiped his sweat, becoming the best footnote for the defending champion to leave the game in disgrace.

The times behind the data

Technical statistics clearly outline the trajectory of this generational alternation: Alexander scored 35 points on 15 of 28 shots, becoming the third-highest score in NBA history under 25-year-old player with the third highest score in the seventh game in NBA history; Chet Homegren contributed terrifying data of 19 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks, and the best rookie completely frozen Jokic on the defensive end; the 48 points contributed by the bench crushed the opponent 23 points. In contrast, although Jokic won a quasi-triple double-double of 28+12+9, his shooting percentage of 39.1% hit a new low in the playoffs this season.

The Rise of the Future Division

This victory not only ended the Thunder's nine-year Western Final Downfall, but also marked a profound change in the alliance's power structure. From Durant's departure in 2016 to returning to the peak in 2025, the Thunder management has rebuilt with precise draft vision and patience to create a perfect lineup with excellent offense and defense. Now this youth team has three All-Star players and is equipped with the league's deepest bench. What's even more rare is that it maintains the salary flexibility of the core lineup.

When the final whistle sounded and Alexander smashed the ball to the floor with the game, the entire Oklahoma City seemed to be shaking. This team, whose average age is 4.7 years younger than their opponents, is redefining the basketball game in their way - extreme space utilization, lightning-like offense and defense conversion, and selfless team cooperation. On the road to the O'Brien Cup, perhaps no one dares to underestimate these young people in dark blue battle robes. The battlefield of the Western Conference Finals will be the ultimate stage for them to prove to the world that a new era is truly coming.