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

[hardenASG13]

This series is where the Nuggets lack of depth will show, as OKC is loaded with it and defends alot harder than LA, with more size, talent and shooting to boot. Going with OKC in 5 here.

[Wolfgang630]

Nuggets will be underdogs where they love to be. We’ll see what happens.

[Gus McCrae]

Vegas has OKC favored by 9.5. That’s crazy. Denver is cooked.

[lambchop]

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 really, because of the lack of experience okc has.

[Wolfgang630]

Vegas has OKC favored by 9.5. That’s crazy. Denver is cooked.

Yeah because betters at Vegas are playing the games.

[lessthanjake]

I think Denver will be lucky to win a single game. OKC is possibly the best team in NBA history, and you’re lucky to win a single game against a team like that, especially when you’re not a genuinely great team yourself (and the Nuggets are not, even though Jokic individually is incredible).

[stoo]

why do all the messages here remind me of the talk prior to nuggets clippers series?

[bbms]

picked okc in 6 but i think they need it to be in 5 to play better down the line if they advance to wcf.

i was one of the guys that rated nuggets to be a harder challenge for the thunder than the clippers. jokic looked like the best at picking thunder's defense apart.

jaylin williams actually have an opportunity to earn some money in this series. i don't think mike d will match chet on jokic at all.

[ProcessDoctor]

So this is basically the WCF right?

Thunder in 7.

[LeBronSpaghetti]

OKC has never beaten a good team in a playoff series. If the 2025 Grizzlies or the 2024 Pelicans move the needle for you then I don’t know what to say.

With that being said I still expect them to win this series and probably the whole thing. But being capable of doing something vs actually doing it are two very different things. This series is hopefully the first time OKC has actually been challenged since the Mavs series last year, and we know how that went for them. To be a champ you need to overcome being punched in the mouth. We’ll see how OKC responds to that this year as opposed to last year.

[MoneyTalks41890]

It will be interesting to see how Adelman v Diagnault goes. Interim coach has a chance to make a big name for himself.

[jscott]

OKC in 6.

Denver is legit, they have Champions DNA and Playoff Murray is a thing but their lack of bench is too much to overcome IMO.

Playoff Murray just throws heat packs.

[1bigfan13]

Thunder in 6.

Jokic will have a legendary series, but will still get ousted by OKC because SGA can foul grift like a mother.

A Warriors fan with Jimmy Butler on his team has the audacity to post this??

[Gregoire]

OKC in 6

[1bigfan13]

Okc issues with size are fairly overblown (imo) this season, even last year we won the chet minutes against dallas twin towers and this is a better team that added harstentein too. Our rebounding with chet and ihart has been lowkey good (our rebounding ranks in reg season are dragged down by centerless games) and we won the offensive rebounding battle against memphis who played a big front court

One of my pet peeves is people that continue to point to problem's OKC had with size in the past.

It's like some weird mental block where they refuse to acknowledge that OKC has added a 7 footer with bulk to their roster since last season.

Joker will get his numbers because he's unstoppable on offense. But I expect OKC to hold their own on the glass and force Denver to get most of their points outside of the paint.

[LeBronSpaghetti]

Okc issues with size are fairly overblown (imo) this season, even last year we won the chet minutes against dallas twin towers and this is a better team that added harstentein too. Our rebounding with chet and ihart has been lowkey good (our rebounding ranks in reg season are dragged down by centerless games) and we won the offensive rebounding battle against memphis who played a big front court

One of my pet peeves is people that continue to point to problem's OKC had with size in the past.

It's like some weird mental block where they refuse to acknowledge that OKC has added a 7 footer with bulk to their roster since last season.

Joker will get his numbers because he's unstoppable on offense. But I expect OKC to hold their own on the glass and force Denver to get most of their points outside of the paint.

There are a lot of NBA fans who watch a team once or twice a year then formulate an unmovable opinion for the next 5 years about them based off those one or two games.

[Lala870]

Denver in 6 if MPJ plays like an actual NBA player and hits shots

Gordon/Murray/Jokic seem to be hitting their stride

[Froob]

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 really, because of the lack of experience okc has.

okc has the greatest point differential of all time. okc seriously being underrated like boston last year

[Lala870]

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 really, because of the lack of experience okc has.

okc has the greatest point differential of all time. okc seriously being underrated like boston last year

Its all about matchups though

[p0peye]

This can go both ways. Thunder are younger, deeper team with higher energy. Nuggets need to somehow match that energy for 48 mins with short rotation AND need to take care of the ball as Thunder team is a bunch of ball hawks out there. If they manage to do that in most games, Nuggets can advance. Otherwise, this is Thunder's series to lose. I don't think Shai changes the equation much, it pretty much stays the same whether he plays or not.