DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 6: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives … More
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets will take the court tonight as a second-round series in the Western Conference gets underway. The No. 1 seeded Thunder will host the No. 4 Denver Nuggets in a series with a surplus of storylines.
Two of the best players in the world will go head-to-head as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic look to carry their respective teams to the Western Conference Finals. A strong supporting cast for both superstars makes this a very talented series that should be competitive.
Here’s everything you need to know about Oklahoma City’s second-round series against Denver.
Schedule
The first six games of this series will be held with just one day of rest in between. As such, it will move quickly, and adjustments must be made rapidly. The off-day game plans and tweaks will make a marginal difference in who wins this series.
- Game 1: Monday, May 5 (8:30 p.m. CT) – TNT
- Game 2: Wednesday, May 7 (8:30 p.m. CT) – TNT
- Game 3: Friday, May 9 (9:00 p.m. CT) – ESPN
- Game 4: Sunday, May 11 (2:30 p.m. CT) – ABC
- Game 5*: Tuesday, May 13 (Time TBD) – TNT
- Game 6*: Thursday, May 15 (Time TBD) – ESPN
- Game 7*: Sunday, May 18 (Time TBD) – Network TBD
*if necessary
Regular Season Results
During the regular season, these two teams split the four-game series with a pair of wins each. Oklahoma City won the first contest in October by 15 points, but Denver got revenge just two weeks later in a two-point victory that came down to the wire. From there, the two teams didn’t match up again until March, when they played each other twice in as many days, with the Thunder winning the first contest by 24 but losing the second by 13.
In short, this is undoubtedly a series that could get interesting. The regular season proved to be a daily even match, but the playoffs are an entirely different game. It’s a clean slate for both teams as they enter a new series with a fresh perspective on their opponent.
Things to Watch For
The most fascinating part of this series is the fact that the NBA’s MVP Award winner is expected to be announced during it. The two frontrunners, Shai Gilgrous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, will likely be going head-to-head on the court still by the time that announcement is made. As such, expect the runner-up to be even more motivated when that day comes — presumably early next week sometime around Game 5.
Both from a rest and depth standpoint, OKC should have a major advantage in this series. After sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, the Thunder has been able to rest for more than a week entering Game 1 of this series. Conversely, Denver just played Game 7 of its opening series against the LA Clippers on Saturday night. Furthermore, the Thunder’s roster is much deeper than the Nuggets’, which should only be an advantage given Denver’s thin roster lacks rest.
But even then, Denver has the edge when it comes to experience. The primary core of this team was on the roster when the Nuggets won an NBA Championship in 2023, which will be advantageous for Denver. It’s important to remember that the Thunder is the youngest team in the playoffs, and most of the roster doesn’t have much experience other than last season’s 10-game postseason run.
Numerous factors will come into play in this series, but the Thunder will still be the favorite. That doesn’t mean the Nuggets won’t make this competitive, but it’s Oklahoma City’s series to lose.