After a week’s wait, the Oklahoma City Thunder zeroed in on their Round 2 opponent. They will face off against the Denver Nuggets after surviving against the LA Clippers in a Game 7 win.
The second-round series features the battle of the MVP finalists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic are the best players on their respective teams and have jockeyed for the prestigious award all season. Russell Westbrook’s playoff return to OKC is also a juicy secondary storyline.
The Thunder enter as favorites to win the playoff series. As they square off for Game 1 on Monday, NBA Wire held a roundtable discussion where multiple staffers made their series prediction:
Clemente Almanza, Thunder Wire:
The Thunder were going to be tested against either possibility. The Nuggets are top-heavy but have one of the best starting lineups, headlined by the best player in the world. This won’t be a cakewalk for the Thunder like the Grizzlies were. All four regular-season matchups showed that the games could go either way. Denver could get hot from the outside and put up 140 points in regulation against the league’s best defense. Meanwhile, OKC can be a win machine and a buzzsaw. Let’s go with the Thunder in this Round 2 series. They’re rested up and younger. Meanwhile, the Nuggets will have little time to catch their breath. Jokic is scary enough to win a playoff series by himself, but I got to go with one of the greatest regular season teams in NBA history.
Prediction: Thunder in 6
Justin Quinn, Celtics Wire:
If only the Nuggets were healthier. If only Denver’s front office had not let key pieces depart over the last several seasons. ‘If only’ isn’t going to cut it in this series, and while the Nugs are going to push the Thunder far more than the Memphis Grizzlies did, there just is not enough for even Nikola Jokic to drag this series further than a game beyond a gentleman’s sweep, which is the most likely outcome here given everything we have seen from and know about the participants.
Prediction: OKC in 5.
Ky Carlin, Sixers Wire:
Ahh, the battle of MVPs. We’re all in for a treat in this one with OKC superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Both of these teams have their eyes on winning a title and either team can do it. The Nuggets are the veteran team in this situation as they have a been there, done that mentality while the Thunder are the new kids on the block. After coming up short to the Dallas Mavericks in 2024, and hearing all of the noise about them heading into these playoffs, this seems like a motivated bunch. OKC is the better team. This will be a battle, but they are the better team.
Prediction: Thunder in 6
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA Wire Roundtable: Who wins Round 2 series between Thunder, Nuggets?
After a week’s wait, the Oklahoma City Thunder zeroed in on their Round 2 opponent. They will face off against the Denver Nuggets after surviving against the LA Clippers in a Game 7 win.
The second-round series features the battle of the MVP finalists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic are the best players on their respective teams and have jockeyed for the prestigious award all season. Russell Westbrook’s playoff return to OKC is also a juicy secondary storyline.
The Thunder enter as favorites to win the playoff series. As they square off for Game 1 on Monday, NBA Wire held a roundtable discussion where multiple staffers made their series prediction:
Clemente Almanza, Thunder Wire:
The Thunder were going to be tested against either possibility. The Nuggets are top-heavy but have one of the best starting lineups, headlined by the best player in the world. This won’t be a cakewalk for the Thunder like the Grizzlies were. All four regular-season matchups showed that the games could go either way. Denver could get hot from the outside and put up 140 points in regulation against the league’s best defense. Meanwhile, OKC can be a win machine and a buzzsaw. Let’s go with the Thunder in this Round 2 series. They’re rested up and younger. Meanwhile, the Nuggets will have little time to catch their breath. Jokic is scary enough to win a playoff series by himself, but I got to go with one of the greatest regular season teams in NBA history.
Prediction: Thunder in 6
Justin Quinn, Celtics Wire:
If only the Nuggets were healthier. If only Denver’s front office had not let key pieces depart over the last several seasons. ‘If only’ isn’t going to cut it in this series, and while the Nugs are going to push the Thunder far more than the Memphis Grizzlies did, there just is not enough for even Nikola Jokic to drag this series further than a game beyond a gentleman’s sweep, which is the most likely outcome here given everything we have seen from and know about the participants.
Prediction: OKC in 5.
Ky Carlin, Sixers Wire:
Ahh, the battle of MVPs. We’re all in for a treat in this one with OKC superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Both of these teams have their eyes on winning a title and either team can do it. The Nuggets are the veteran team in this situation as they have a been there, done that mentality while the Thunder are the new kids on the block. After coming up short to the Dallas Mavericks in 2024, and hearing all of the noise about them heading into these playoffs, this seems like a motivated bunch. OKC is the better team. This will be a battle, but they are the better team.
Prediction: Thunder in 6
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA Wire Roundtable: Who wins Round 2 series between Thunder, Nuggets?
