Thunder vs Nuggets Preview

The 1st seed Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the 4th seed Denver Nuggets in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Oklahoma City is coming off a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. Denver defeated the LA Clippers in 7 games.

This matchup features the two top candidates for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.

The Thunder and Nuggets split the season series 2-2.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City has been dominating the league all season. They had the league’s best record at 64-18.

The Thunder’s sweep of the Grizzlies allowed them to get an entire week of rest. While Denver traded blows with LA, Oklahoma City waited eagerly, game planning for their next opponent.

Gilgeous-Alexander will look to continue his MVP calibre season heading into this matchup. Against Memphis, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 27.8 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Despite those stats, Gilgeous-Alexander struggled shooting wise. He shot an average of 40.2% from the field and only 25% from the 3-point line. One of Gilgeous-Alexander’s strengths is the ability to get to the free throw line, where he is shooting 90% on 8.2 attempts.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren excelled in their roles to complement their MVP teammate.

Williams averaged 23.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He was efficient from the field, shooting an overall of 54.2%.

Holmgren contributed 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. He also led Oklahoma City in 3-point percentage at 42.3 percent.

Denver Nuggets

Denver is coming off a Game 7 blowout win of the LA Clippers. They played their best basketball of the series in a win or go home situation.

Jokic averaged a triple double in the series with 24 points, 11.6 rebounds and 10.1 assists.

One area that Jokic struggled in was taking care of the ball. LA’s defense forced an average of 3.4 turnovers from Jokic. He will need to clean up his mistakes as Oklahoma City led the league in points off turnovers with 26.3.

Jamal Murray has the reputation of being a playoff riser and this was no different against LA. He averaged 22.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists. He shot lights out from the field at 48.1% and the 3-point line at 40.4%.

One of Denver’s biggest surprises in the playoffs has been Aaron Gordon. Gordon is not known as a scorer, but he elevated his offensive play against the Clippers. He averaged 18.9 points on 51.6% shooting from the field.

This series will also feature Russell Westbrook’s return to Oklahoma City to face his former team. Westbrook is a legend in Oklahoma City, spending his first 11 seasons there. He will look to stun his former team to help Denver advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Prediction

There is no doubt that Denver is exhausted. After a grueling 7-game series against LA, there has to be a question on how much there is left in the tank.

Home court advantage was crucial in Denver’s series win against LA. The Nuggets notched 3 wins at home and were only able to steal one on the road due to Gordon’s last second game winning dunk. They won’t have that luxury against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City is well-rested and ready to pounce on whatever is left of Denver. The Thunder will continue their dominance and will advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Prediction: Thunder in 6.

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