2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West Semifinals: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Denver Nuggets (DEN leads 1-0)

[California Gold]

Nuggets are underrated. Clippers were maybe the best team in the last like 20 games. They will probably still lose though because of their bench.

Nope, okc was

People are trying to downplay OKC now just because they love Jokic’s nuts.

Some things around this forum never changed lol.

OKC still has to go out and prove it but what have the Nuggets proved? That they won a ring 2 years ago with a completely different team? OKC gets no respect for the work they’ve done so far.

OKC is -250 to win the west and they haven’t even played a game in the 2nd round yet. The **** Nuggets are at like +1200. Those are 2017 Warriors type odds with the gap between OKC and the everyone else.

[kwajo]

Looking forward to some Canada vs. Canada action this series with SGA & Dort vs. Murray

[WestbrookGOATed]

Thunder are massively overrated. Jokic is a GOAT level player in his prime, people thinking oKC is a clear favorite don’t know what they are talking about.

I remember my first time on Real GM.

[WestbrookGOATed]

Everyone almost certain Nuggets have no chance. Thats good, its nice to play without any pressure.

Ultimately it will come down to officiating. Will it be the same on both ends? Then either SGA wont get the calls he is used to with his flopping (kind of like Harden in the Clippers series) or if they call contact, the lauded OKC defense - that mostly consists of grabbing and hand checking - will come down to earth.

Are you already making excuses? Buckle up!

[BigGargamel]

I think Denver has a pretty decent chance. They did split the regular season series. Jokic is still the best player in the world and the team is healthy.

That being said, I'm all in on OKC. I don't think anyone in the NBA beats them. So, begrudgingly, OKC in 6.

[guynumber45]

Despite how great OKC is, I can't see OKC just mopping this battle-tested Nuggets team led by peak Joker in 4-5 games. I think it will go at least 6 games, with OKC's depth ultimately being the deciding factor.

However, if Jamal Murray can activate playoff Murray for an entire series, the Nuggets are capable of stealing the series

[iggymcfrack]

I’m in a weird spot here. I’m a Nugget fan and I don’t think they’re gonna win, but I think Joker’s gonna average 30/12/15 to stretch it to 7 and it’s gonna be the most fun basketball porn anyone’s ever watched. I’m pumped!!!!!!!! I’m not missing a second!!!!!

[iggymcfrack]

Despite how great OKC is, I can't see OKC just mopping this battle-tested Nuggets team led by peak Joker in 4-5 games. I think it will go at least 6 games, with OKC's depth ultimately being the deciding factor.

However, if Jamal Murray can activate playoff Murray for an entire series, the Nuggets are capable of stealing the series

Playoff Murray’s here. He’s **** here. I’m fully expecting him to score 50 one game and 40 another and think he’s better than Shai before Shai puts up like 55/7/12 in Game 7 to win it for the Thunder in 2OT.

[Johnny Firpo]

Gonna go with OKC, and they have a chance to start proving the fewer and fewer doubters. The tactic is easy, foul the crap out of Joker, double him, front him, throw in mixed coverages, and just foul, foul, foul and do it in a fashion that will make it hard for the refs to see. OKC's genius swarm tactics are not only effective because they are fast and athletic and annoyingly good at taking away the ball, it also works because it literally blocks the refs' vision, they cannot see the fouls.


This is why I laughed at the idea that OKC will struggle in the playoffs, where the refs swallow the whistle. No team would benefit more from that than OKC. They will like win in 5 or 6, maybe if Joker is otherwordly, could this go to a decider, but even then it wouldn't. Murray, Braun and MPJ are so inconsistent these days, you never know what you'll get out of them.

[MrPainfulTruth]

I wonder if Nuggets win, would that be the biggest upset in recent NBA history? I cant think of anything remotely close maybe outside of the GSW beating Dirks Mavs...

[RookieStar]

I dunno... my mind and logic says OKC in 5 or even 6... yet there is this inner voice saying Jokic in 6 or 7.

[RookieStar]

I am delivering another prophetic vision to you, RealGM Fam

Rejoice

The Denver Nuggets shall defeat the Thunder in 6 games

Embrace the prophecy

You know what it is !

Preach! Lol

[JM00n69]

I wonder if Nuggets win, would that be the biggest upset in recent NBA history? I cant think of anything remotely close maybe outside of the GSW beating Dirks Mavs...

Not even close. First of all we match up extremely well against them. And coming off a 7game series and blowing out one of the better defensive teams in the league in the last game Denver has all the confidence. Playoff experience and Championship pedigree will be decing factor. It's DEN in 6

The worst upset is the '06-'07 GSW (8th) beating DAL (1st) in 6 games.Dallas dominated the league and should've swept that Warriors team.

[JM00n69]

Again the casuals are so **** far off from reality. And I know the OCK fans that actually know ball are **** worried right now.

[MrPainfulTruth]

I wonder if Nuggets win, would that be the biggest upset in recent NBA history? I cant think of anything remotely close maybe outside of the GSW beating Dirks Mavs...

Not even close. First of all we match up extremely well against them. And coming off a 7game series and blowing out one of the better defensive teams in the league in the last game Denver has all the confidence. Playoff experience and Championship pedigree will be decing factor. It's DEN in 6

The worst upset is the '06-'07 GSW (8th) beating DAL (1st) in 6 games.Dallas dominated the league and should've swept that Warriors team.

Dallas was a huge upset, however i think its overblown - by then they didnt have championship experience, it was just a regular season record. OKC has been crowned before the playoffs already. All experts said it'd be a three horse race between them, the Celtics and maybe the Cavs. They have the probable MVP. I wonder what the odds are in Vegas right now...

[stoo]

Nuggets are underrated. Clippers were maybe the best team in the last like 20 games. They will probably still lose though because of their bench.

Nope, okc was

People are trying to downplay OKC now just because they love Jokic’s nuts.

Some things around this forum never changed lol.

OKC still has to go out and prove it but what have the Nuggets proved? That they won a ring 2 years ago with a completely different team? OKC gets no respect for the work they’ve done so far.

OKC is -250 to win the west and they haven’t even played a game in the 2nd round yet. The **** Nuggets are at like +1200. Those are 2017 Warriors type odds with the gap between OKC and the everyone else.

what completely different team?

these nuggets proved way more than okc, and it has nothing to do with jokic fans

[JM00n69]

I wonder if Nuggets win, would that be the biggest upset in recent NBA history? I cant think of anything remotely close maybe outside of the GSW beating Dirks Mavs...

Not even close. First of all we match up extremely well against them. And coming off a 7game series and blowing out one of the better defensive teams in the league in the last game Denver has all the confidence. Playoff experience and Championship pedigree will be decing factor. It's DEN in 6

The worst upset is the '06-'07 GSW (8th) beating DAL (1st) in 6 games.Dallas dominated the league and should've swept that Warriors team.

Dallas was a huge upset, however i think its overblown - by then they didnt have championship experience, it was just a regular season record. OKC has been crowned before the playoffs already. All experts said it'd be a three horse race between them, the Celtics and maybe the Cavs. They have the probable MVP. I wonder what the odds are in Vegas right now...

Yeah and LAL was 10-1 or +1100 before Playoffs started. GSW were about the same. It's because the stupid money gets bet on the known names in billions.

And OKC, while the best team against the league during the RS (2-2vs DEN), are young and haven't found success in the post season. They are unproven when the pressure is on, well they've proven are losers so far. Lost to DAL last year. Why do you think that was? The experience of winning it all from Kyrie and Lukas confidence from winning everything in the Euroleauge when he was a teenager.

[SportsGuru08]

I wonder if Nuggets win, would that be the biggest upset in recent NBA history? I cant think of anything remotely close maybe outside of the GSW beating Dirks Mavs...

Not even close. First of all we match up extremely well against them. And coming off a 7game series and blowing out one of the better defensive teams in the league in the last game Denver has all the confidence. Playoff experience and Championship pedigree will be decing factor. It's DEN in 6

The worst upset is the '06-'07 GSW (8th) beating DAL (1st) in 6 games.Dallas dominated the league and should've swept that Warriors team.

The Warriors won 3 of 4 regular season games against them. They were the worst possible first round matchup for Dallas.

[SportsGuru08]

Thunder in 6. Jokic is good enough that Denver might take a couple games from an unproven Thunder squad.

[JM00n69]

I wonder if Nuggets win, would that be the biggest upset in recent NBA history? I cant think of anything remotely close maybe outside of the GSW beating Dirks Mavs...

Not even close. First of all we match up extremely well against them. And coming off a 7game series and blowing out one of the better defensive teams in the league in the last game Denver has all the confidence. Playoff experience and Championship pedigree will be decing factor. It's DEN in 6

The worst upset is the '06-'07 GSW (8th) beating DAL (1st) in 6 games.Dallas dominated the league and should've swept that Warriors team.

Dallas was a huge upset, however i think its overblown - by then they didnt have championship experience, it was just a regular season record. OKC has been crowned before the playoffs already. All experts said it'd be a three horse race between them, the Celtics and maybe the Cavs. They have the probable MVP. I wonder what the odds are in Vegas right now...

It's not overblown to anyone that was watching ball back them. GSW was a very bad team and they were a very bad matchup against the MAVs. Their guard/wing rotation was four very good perimiter defenders (and no I'm not counting Terry here), all with size advantage to cover Davis and Ellis. And they had MVP Dirk with shooters/finishers and ran a gameplan that had dominated the league that year.