Thunder Win vs. Nuggets Ensures History Will Be Made by Any Potential NBA Champion

The final two rounds of the NBA playoffs will give fans new blood in the pursuit of a championship.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have advanced to the Western Conference finals. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder punched their ticket to the Western Conference finals with a 125–93 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Sunday's Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.

In doing so, the Thunder ensured that history will be made in the final two rounds of the NBA postseason. Three of the four participants in this year's conference semifinals—the Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers—have never won an NBA title. (The Seattle SuperSonics, which became the Thunder in 2008, won the 1979 NBA Finals.) The other participant, the New York Knicks, haven't won a title in the modern era—they last won in 1973.

Last NBA title:

Knicks - 1973
Pacers - Never
Wolves - Never
Thunder - Never

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) May 18, 2025

In addition, 2025 will mark the seventh different NBA champion in the last seven seasons—which is the longest such streak in NBA history, according to Zach Kram of ESPN.

With Denver and Boston both being eliminated this weekend, the NBA is now guaranteed to have its 7th different champion in 7 seasons.

This is the longest such streak in league history.

— Zach Kram (@zachkram) May 18, 2025

The Thunder and Timberwolves begin the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, while the Knicks will host the Pacers on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden to begin the Eastern Conference finals.

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