Miami Heat legend: "I want Oklahoma to win"

Tonight we have Game 7 between Oklahoma and Denver ahead of us, and honestly, very few people predicted it would come to this — especially in the U.S. The Thunder entered this series as heavy favorites, but the Nuggets’ experience has come to the forefront, and only after this decisive game (10:30 PM) will we know who will face Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals.

Despite their immense talent, Oklahoma is still one of the younger teams in the league, and this is only their second serious playoff appearance. Last year, they were easily eliminated by Dallas in the second round, and this year, they could be knocked out by Denver at the same stage — but after seven games. This is all part of the process. Americans often say that young teams need to suffer a major loss before they can achieve major success. That’s also the view of Dwyane Wade, a Miami Heat legend, who said the Thunder need exactly this kind of experience.

“If they’re going to make the Finals and lift the trophy, they have to go through some adversity. That’s exactly what we’re seeing right now. They need this. I want to see them play a Game 7, and I want to see them win Game 7,” Wade said on the “Wy Network” podcast.

The Thunder have just one problem in front of them — and his name is Nikola Jokic. The Serbian center has managed to play at his trademark level in Games 5 and 6, and it seems he’s found a way to torment Oklahoma’s defense, which, to be fair, has been very solid in this series. Tough, right on the edge of fouling — often beyond it — but they’ve simply imposed that level of intensity from the very beginning.

Denver has surely learned that by now and will be ready for battle in a hostile environment. It’s said that good teams win on the road, so now it’s time to see if Denver is truly a good team.