35 points, 3 basketballs and 4 assists! Five unprecedented NBA historical records were reached by the SGA

On May 19, 2025, the NBA Playoff Western Conference Semi-Finals tiebreak battle continued, with the Thunder defeating the Nuggets 125-93, and advanced to the Western Conference Finals 4-3. The game started, and the two sides were temporarily stalemate. The Nuggets took the double-digit lead with their inside advantage and free throw opportunities, and once widened the score to 21-10. However, the Thunder quickly adjusted their tactics, relied on excellent defense and rapid counterattack to launch a 13-0 strong counterattack, and successfully overtaken the score. Jaylen Williams broke out in the second quarter, scoring 17 points in a single quarter, helping the Thunder establish a double-digit advantage. At the end of the half, the Thunder led the Nuggets 60-46. After the change of sides, the Thunder completely suppressed the Nuggets on both sides of the offense and defense, quickly widening the gap to more than 20 points. Although Jokic tried hard to support the team, he was unable to make up for the situation. The Thunder became more and more courageous in the final quarter, widening the score gap to more than 30 points. The Nuggets coach was forced to replace the main player and admit defeat in advance. In the end, the Thunder defeated the defending champion Nuggets with a huge advantage of 32 points at home, and advanced to the Western Conference Finals 4-3 in total.

The key to the Thunder's victory in this game is comprehensive data advantages and excellent tactical execution. Judging from the data, the Thunder's shooting percentage is as high as 49%, far higher than the Nuggets' 39.3%; the three-point shooting percentage is 30.8%, also better than the Nuggets' 22.2%. More importantly, the Thunder made only 9 mistakes, while the Nuggets made as many as 22, which directly led to the Thunder taking advantage of the opponent's mistakes to score 37 points, while the Nuggets scored only 7 points. In the inside battle, the Thunder scored 64 points in the inside and the Nuggets scored 42 points, completely suppressing the Nuggets' inside that has Jokic.

Tactical level, the Thunder successfully restricted the performance of the Nuggets' core players. Although Jokic scored 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, he made 5 mistakes at the same time; Murray only scored 13 points and made 8 three-pointers; Gordon played with an injury, although he scored 11 rebounds, he only scored 8 points and made 4 mistakes. In contrast, the entire Thunder team played efficient team basketball, with all five starting players scoring in double digits and contributing 37 points on the bench. At the same time, SGA won several NBA records in one game, and five NBA historical records were reached.

SGA showed the dominance of a superstar in this critical tiebreak battle. He scored 35 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in the whole game, with a shooting percentage of 63.2% (12-19), 3 of 4 three-pointers and 8 of 9 free throws, fully demonstrating his offensive firepower. In the first quarter, SGA showed aggressiveness and continuously broke through the Nuggets' defense line to stabilize the morale of the team. When the Nuggets were leading 11 points at one point, it was SGA's continuous scoring and organization that helped the team stabilize the situation. In the second quarter, although Jaylen Williams became the main scoring point, SGA's passes and off-ball runs created a lot of space for teammates. In the second half, SGA broke out completely, scoring 15 points in the third quarter, including three consecutive mid-range jump shots and a key three-pointer, widening the score gap to an insurmountable level.

The most impressive thing is that SGA has zero mistakes in the game, showing extremely high ball rights handling ability and game control. He is also excellent on the defensive end, with 3 steals and 1 block, completely locking Murray's offense. In the whole game, SGA's +/- value on the court was as high as +32, which fully proved his comprehensive value to the team. In this game, SGA not only used data to prove its superstar status, but also used victory to announce the rise of the Thunder to the entire league.

According to statistics from the NBA official website, after this game, SGA has created and set a number of NBA historical records. First, he became the first player in NBA history to score at least 35 points, zero turnovers and shooting percentage of more than 60% in the playoff tiebreak, showing super high efficiency and stability. Secondly, SGA averaged 32.7 points per game in this round of series, becoming the first Thunder player in NBA history to average more than 30 points per game in the semi-finals of the playoffs, surpassing the record set by Durant during the Thunder period.

Third, SGA's +/- value in this game reached +32, setting the highest record in the Thunder's playoff tiebreak. Fourth, SGA has become one of the youngest players to score 35+ points in the playoff tiebreak since the NBA merged with the ABA in 1976 and lead the team to win. Fifth, SGA's total score in this round of series reached 229 points, setting a new high in the Thunder's single-round series.

These records not only demonstrate the leap in SGA's personal abilities, but also prove that he has grown into a true superstar. In this season, SGA not only selected as an All-Star starter, but also received high recognition from MVP votes. His outstanding performance on the playoff stage has pushed his career to a new level. For SGA, who is only 26 years old, this is just the beginning of his brilliant career.

This victory allowed the Thunder to successfully advance to the Western Conference Finals, and the outside world's evaluation of this young team also rose. ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith said: "The Thunder are no longer the team that is promising, their future is now! SGA's performance proves that he is already the top star in the league, and the overall depth and defensive strength of this team are enough to compete with any team. "

SGA has proved that he is the new generation superstar of the league with his performance. His comprehensive offensive ability, excellent defense and leadership make him hopeful to compete for the MVP and championship in the next few years. As a young team with an average age of only 24 years old, the Thunder has shown amazing potential and competitiveness, and their rise speed is far beyond the outside world's expectations.

As the Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals, the NBA Western Conference pattern is undergoing huge changes. Can the young Thunder continue this momentum and continue to create miracles in the Western Conference Finals? Can SGA prove its superstar status on a bigger stage? Let's wait and see!