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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder makes an attempt to pressure previous Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets all over the primary part at Paycom Center on March 9, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Joshua Gateley/Getty Images/AFP
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the younger Oklahoma City Thunder should undergo a Denver Nuggets staff that already has executed all of it in the event that they wish to cap off their implausible common season with an NBA championship.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led the Nuggets to the name in 2023, and so they helped Denver out survive the Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 within the first spherical of the Western Conference playoffs. The Nuggets rolled previous the Clippers 120-101 in Game 7 on Saturday evening.
READ: NBA playoffs: Thunder sweep Grizzlies to succeed in West semis
Though Oklahoma City had the league’s very best report at 68-14, that received’t subject when the Thunder host the Nuggets in Game 1 of the West semifinals on Monday evening.
“They have championship-caliber players, Hall of Fame players,” Thunder reserve guard Alex Caruso mentioned. “They’re experienced, they’ve been there. I think that showed in Game 7 the other night. They didn’t blink. They kind of rose to the occasion. We’re going to need our best, obviously, to beat them. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Denver should get well briefly to stand a rested Thunder staff that swept Memphis within the first spherical.
“Feel blessed to get out of this thing,” Denver period in-between trainer David Adelman mentioned Saturday. “This is a memorable series. We just don’t really have time right now to remember it.”
The actual MVP
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are MVP finalists, and there’s a great opportunity the winner will likely be introduced all over this collection.
Both groups consider their celebrity merits to win.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring 32.7 issues according to sport on 52% capturing. Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren famous the traditional knowledge that claims the staff with the most productive participant wins the collection.
“I like that theory because I think no matter what series we’re in, we’ve got the best player,” Holmgren mentioned. “I’ll roll with that one.”
READ: NBA: Nuggets advance with Game 7 laugher over surprised Clippers
Denver’s Christian Braun mentioned Jokic had a distinct season. Jokic averaged 29.6 issues, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists.
“Shai’s an amazing player, so there’s obviously no wrong choice,” Braun mentioned. “But to see what Nikola did night in and night out — I don’t know if you’ll ever see that again. Hits big shots, takes 3s, scores every time in the paint, he was great for us defensively. I just think that the way he played this year, you might not ever see a complete and full season like Nikola had this year.”
Supporting stars
There are quite a lot of gamers to look at past the 2 stars.
Jalen Williams additionally was once an All-Star for the Thunder. He averaged 23.3 issues, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists within the collection in opposition to Memphis.
Holmgren, the runner-up for Rookie of the Year ultimate season, is again and taking part in smartly after lacking greater than part the season with a hip harm. He averaged 18.5 issues, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in opposition to the Grizzlies.
Denver counters with Murray and Aaron Gordon. Murray all the time turns out to lift his sport within the playoffs and averaged 22.9 issues, 5.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists in opposition to Los Angeles. Gordon averaged 18.9 issues and 5.7 rebounds in opposition to the Clippers.
READ: NBA: SGA, Jokic, Giannis are MVP finalists
Old buddy
Oklahoma City will face former Thunder celebrity Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook started his occupation in Oklahoma City, and he turned into a fan favourite as he stored the franchise afloat after Kevin Durant left in 2016. During his nine-year run with the Thunder, Westbrook was once the MVP in 2017 and a two-time scoring champion who averaged a triple-double 3 times.
Westbrook has remained concerned within the Oklahoma City neighborhood, and he robotically attracts cheers as an opposing participant.
“That’s like home for me,” he mentioned. “I always got love for everybody there, the people, the fans. I know it’s mutual. But they also know the reason why they do love me, because I compete at a high level, and I do that every night. So that’s all I can do, is going out there and be myself and compete, try to go out and steal one there.”
READ: NBA: Nikola Jokic turns into third participant to moderate triple-double
Coaching matchup
Adelman stepped in overdue within the season after the Nuggets fired championship-winning trainer Michael Malone, leaving just a little of puzzle about how Denver will play within the ultimate mins of shut video games.
Oklahoma City trainer Mark Daigneault mentioned he doesn’t be expecting a lot to modify, noting that Adelman was once an established assistant beneath Malone and the transfer was once made overdue within the season.
Daigneault mentioned the seven-game collection in opposition to the Clippers will best be so useful.
“Good data point, and it gives you a great understanding of how they play against the Clippers,” he mentioned. “But it doesn’t give you a great understanding of how they play against us. So it’s something we can learn from, but this series will have its own face and will unfold in its own way.”
Role gamers
The Thunder had 9 gamers moderate no less than 13 mins within the first spherical. Caruso averaged 20.8 mins, Cason Wallace 20.5, Isaiah Joe 16.3 and Aaron Wiggins 13.8 as reserves.
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Denver doesn’t all the time pass deep into its bench, however the Nuggets are able to getting manufacturing from quite a lot of guys. The Nuggets had six gamers rating no less than 15 issues in Game 7 in opposition to the Clippers, a primary in a Game 7 in NBA playoff historical past.
