The Denver Nuggets once again came up short in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals and once more the biggest reason was their short rotation and lack of reinforcements off the bench.

Alex Caruso plays basketball like he’s trying to score a $50,000 bonus from Dana White. That said, the Nuggets probably could use, at minimum, two of him. Or two more of something relatively close to him if they’re to get the Joker another title in Denver before the horse is out of the barn.

For all the misconstruing that happens in these NBA Playoffs, Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets brought out the OKC Thunder team Mark Daigneault recognized.

Sunday afternoon, fans across the metro gathered at Fassler Hall, also known as Thunder Hall during playoffs, creating an electric atmosphere. The downtown eatery and bar was filled to capacity for Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault knows little about Adelman, but both have had similar upbringings. Adelman has been a Denver assistant since 2017, before he was promoted. Daigneault spent similar time in OKC as the G League's OKC Blue coach and Thunder assistant before he was given the job in 2020.

With the season now in the rearview mirror, the Denver Nuggets turn their focus to what comes next. The front office faces several important decisions this offseason as they aim to return to championship contention following their 2023 title run.

David Adelman took over the Denver Nuggets with just a few regular season games remaining, as long-time head coach Michael Malone was sacked, alongside general manager Calvin Boothe. Despite heading into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with an interim head coach, the Nuggets made some noise.

As the Thunder avalanched the Nuggets in the second quarter, Williams was the snowball that rolled downhill. He scored 17 points in the frame alone. The 24-year-old got into a flow and was a threat in transition. After Denver turned it over every other possession, he broke off from the rest for buckets.