Rested Thunder Set to Battle Battle-Tested Nuggets…
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder face a major hurdle in their pursuit of an NBA title: the experienced and reigning champion Denver Nuggets.
Led by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets claimed the 2023 championship and narrowly edged out the Los Angeles Clippers in a grueling seven-game first-round series, finishing strong with a dominant 120-101 win in Game 7 on Saturday.
Despite finishing the regular season with the NBA’s best record at 68-14, the Thunder know past success won’t matter when Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals tips off Monday night in Oklahoma City.
“They’ve got championship-level talent and Hall of Famers,” said Thunder backup guard Alex Caruso. “They’ve been through the fire, and it showed in Game 7. They stayed calm and rose to the moment. We’ll need to be at our best to beat them, and we’re excited for the challenge.”
The Nuggets must quickly regroup to face an Oklahoma City squad that swept the Memphis Grizzlies and has had time to rest.
“We feel fortunate to have come through that series,” said Denver’s interim coach David Adelman. “But we don’t have time to dwell on it.”
MVP Showdown
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are both finalists for the MVP award, which could be announced during this series.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 32.7 points per game while shooting 52% from the field. Thunder big man Chet Holmgren backed his teammate, saying, “They say the team with the best player wins — and I think we’ve got that guy.”
Meanwhile, Jokic put together another outstanding season, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists. Denver’s Christian Braun acknowledged Gilgeous-Alexander’s brilliance but gave the edge to his teammate. “Nikola did things this year you may never see again. He was dominant in every way,” Braun said.
Key Contributors
Both squads feature more than just their stars.
Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams earned All-Star honors and posted strong numbers against Memphis, while Holmgren has bounced back from injury and made a significant impact.
Denver leans on Murray and Aaron Gordon, both of whom stepped up in the first round. Murray thrives in playoff environments, and Gordon provided consistent scoring and rebounding.
A Familiar Face
The Thunder will see a familiar opponent in Russell Westbrook, who spent the first nine seasons of his career in Oklahoma City and won MVP in 2017. Westbrook, now with the Clippers, remains a beloved figure in OKC and often receives ovations when he returns.
“It’s always going to be home,” Westbrook said. “There’s mutual love there. But I’m a competitor — I’ll always bring it when I’m on the court.”
Coaching Storyline
Denver enters the series under interim coach David Adelman, who replaced Michael Malone late in the season. While this adds some uncertainty to how the Nuggets might handle crunch-time situations, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault doesn’t expect drastic changes.
“They’ll be who they are,” Daigneault said. “That Clippers series tells us a little, but this matchup is a different beast entirely.”
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