2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West Semifinals: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Denver Nuggets (Series tied 3-3)

[Wolfgang630]

All the pressure is on OKC. They were far and away the favorites. They’re the best regular team and playing home. This would be one of the biggest upsets as someone pointed out in the first topic created for this series. Nuggets were underdogs since game 1.

[Exp0sed]

Nuggets are amazing and I had the best time watching the game tonight and I really wanna get caught up in Nuggets fever and believe they're gonna win the championship, but I just keep remembering my prediction before the series...

Thunder in 7

which "Nugget fever", is it going around? haha

the Nuggets are playing 5.5 guys with WB (who almost single handedly threw the game yesterday) and MPJ whose been unplayable apart from a quarter here or there. yeah, Jokic is the best in the world, AG is awesome, Murray is hit or miss and Braun is usually solid but they aren't winning the 'chip with 5.5 guys in the rotation. they lost 4-0 to the Wolves this season for a reason and they're not gonna get by both the Wolvess who are huge, great and deep and whomever comes out of the East with 6 rotation guys and being as flawed as they are

after firing Malone they played the last 4 rs games in do or die mode with the same 5.5 guys rotation, went on to a grueling 7 games series vs. a really great Clippers team and now 7 grueling games vs. an insane Thunder team, even if they pull a miracle and take game 7 in OKC (which I highly doubt because Strawtether\Braun etc. won't be a factor in Oklahome and J-Dub and the role players will play and shoot much better at home), it'd be downright crazy if they can go all the way

is that a thing, ppl really think these Nuggets can go all the way? that's funny..

if they do make some sensible moves to shore up their bench and upgrade from MPJ - they'd def be contenders next season, but this season was always kind of a punt imo. sure, it's sports and they have a puncher's chance with the best, most impactful player in the game but championship? that's far fetched imo

[Exp0sed]

All the pressure is on OKC. They were far and away the favorites. They’re the best regular team and playing home. This would be one of the biggest upsets as someone pointed out in the first topic created for this series. Nuggets were underdogs since game 1.

in terms of rs SRS it will be the biggest upset in NBA history but I don't think all the pressure is on OKC. Denver didn't have much expecations that's true and no1 gave them a real shot at beating the Thunder but that doesn't mean that they don't really wanna win and stick it to the Thunder so..that's pressure too. game 7, for the whole world to see - there's huge pressure either way, it doesn't matter how big of an underdog Vegas thinks u are...

[Crunch 99]

Jokic is still the best player in the world, but this series confirms to me that SGA was the MVP this year. He really dropped 33/5/6 and won 68 games with these cats. Chet didn't even play half the season. This Thunder team is NOT stacked and had absolutely no business sniffing close to 68 wins.

Because Denver so obviously lacks depth compared to OKC, they've got four guys averaging more mpg in the playoffs than Shai, with all four guys in the top 20 playoff mpg overall, including having the top guy for mpg overall - Murray, and two guys in the top six mpg - Murray and Jokic. I've been wondering whether Denver can sustain a run to the championship relying on four guys for so many minutes, and I think the answer is no, with Gordon just suffering what looked like a late game hamstring injury.

[Wolfgang630]

All the pressure is on OKC. They were far and away the favorites. They’re the best regular team and playing home. This would be one of the biggest upsets as someone pointed out in the first topic created for this series. Nuggets were underdogs since game 1.

in terms of rs SRS it will be the biggest upset in NBA history but I don't think all the pressure is on OKC. Denver didn't have much expecations that's true and no1 gave them a real shot at beating the Thunder but that doesn't mean that they don't really wanna win and stick it to the Thunder so..that's pressure too. game 7, for the whole world to see - there's huge pressure either way, it doesn't matter how big of an underdog Vegas thinks u are...

The pressure is on OKC. Yeah there’s game 7 pressure to win. That’s normal for everyone, but that’s not the point. Denver was never ever expected to make it this far. They just fired their coach. They weren’t picked to win round 1. Jokic and Murray and been in 6 game 7’s already so they know the pressure of a game 7. OKC has never been in a game 7. There will be lots of sleeplessness nights leading up to game 7.

[Exp0sed]

the MVP runner up is leading the playoffs (again!) in total points, rebounds and assists and this time around, he's also leading in total steals. that's kinda crazy...

[ohmuri]

Jokic is still the best player in the world, but this series confirms to me that SGA was the MVP this year. He really dropped 33/5/6 and won 68 games with these cats. Chet didn't even play half the season. This Thunder team is NOT stacked and had absolutely no business sniffing close to 68 wins.

Because Denver so obviously lacks depth compared to OKC, they've got four guys averaging more mpg in the playoffs than Shai, with all four guys in the top 20 mpg overall, including having the top guy for mpg in playoffs overall - Murray, and two guys in the top six mpg - Murray and Jokic. I've been wondering Denver can sustain a run to the championship relying on four guys for so many minutes, and I think the answer is "no", with Gordon suffering what looked like a late game hamstring injury.

Last year they lost G7 mostly because of fatigue in that 4th Q -not that it wasn't Wolves' merit, they were the ones who took them there-. This year rotation is even more limited, they had to play more minutes to end the regular-season and they have had more games in the 1st round. I thought they would have lost already because of that very reason.

[ohmuri]

[76ciology]

I’m watching the Thunder vs. Nuggets replay, and if the NBA isn’t rigged, then it looks like the Nuggets have figured out all of the Thunder’s defensive traps. For example, the Thunder love to force Jokic to spin in a specific direction where a help defender is waiting. But now, Jokic has adjusted, he’ll start with a half-spin to bait the defenders, then quickly spin back the other way, completely throwing off the trap.

Yeah, and the Nuggets shooters showed up. Thunders usually have a guy they’d leave because of Nuggets’ shooting problem. Then suddenly they pulled out the strawther card.

[76ciology]

Playoffs is a marathon

[MoneyTalks41890]

Spoiler:

It is to me extremely remarkable what the Nuggets have been doing from a fatigue standpoint. Yes, the zone lessens some movement needs, but they had no rest in the 1st round and went right into the OKC series.

OKC is young and has had a lot of rest, and the team just plays the starters fewer minutes, and they there were a lot of times last night where they looked more gassed than Denver.

[Infinite Llamas]

Westbrook almost having more minutes than Chet is wild to me

[Wolfgang630]

No OKC player showing up until 18th on that list is crazy especially when you’re so used to the best player playing heavy minutes.

[Chuck Everett]

No OKC player showing up until 18th on that list is crazy especially when you’re so used to the best player playing heavy minutes.

3 blowout wins skew that data a bit, I think. The Nuggets have only won one game really in blowout fashion in the playoffs.

[Worm Guts]

No OKC player showing up until 18th on that list is crazy especially when you’re so used to the best player playing heavy minutes.

3 blowout wins skew that data a bit, I think. The Nuggets have only won one game really in blowout fashion in the playoffs.

Denver has played more games than everyone else.

[sp6r=underrated]

No OKC player showing up until 18th on that list is crazy especially when you’re so used to the best player playing heavy minutes.

3 blowout wins skew that data a bit, I think. The Nuggets have only won one game really in blowout fashion in the playoffs.

Denver has played more games than everyone else.

That's a good point. The table below is a better way of framing Denver's depth problem

Number of players who've played greater than 100 minutes in the post-season per team/Games Played
1. Indiana - 9 (10)
2. OKC - 9 (10)
3. Minnesota - 8 (10)
4. Boston - 8 (10)
5. NY - 7 (11)
6. Denver - 7 (13)

Denver either has no bench or Denver's coaching has no confidence in their bench.

[Chuck Everett]

No OKC player showing up until 18th on that list is crazy especially when you’re so used to the best player playing heavy minutes.

3 blowout wins skew that data a bit, I think. The Nuggets have only won one game really in blowout fashion in the playoffs.

Denver has played more games than everyone else.

Absolutely, but 8 of their 13 games have been decided by 10 points or less, with two having gone into overtime. It's not surprising that their games have been way more popular across the playoffs. The Nuggets have been in some absolute nailbiters this postseason.

To add: By record, the Nuggets have also faced the toughest opponents back to back.

[dWadeOwnzYou]

My money is on Denver pending AG could play. Denver thrives off the big stage in an elimination game where the light is brightest. They feed off this emotion and will be motivated to play for one another through all of the turmoils of the past couple of the years. I feel they're a team of destiny with how the post season has gone for them so far (Fired coach, the AG buzzer beaters, Westbrooks highs and lows, championship poised vs Clippers...etc). Every series they had been and will be counted out and yet here they are, one game away from reaching the conference finals.

[Mavrelous]

Murray is playing 42 MPG, Bridges and OG are playing 41 MPG...

[Crunch 99]

I posted above that Denver has four guys in the top 20 for mpg, including the # one and # six guys for MPG - Murray and Jokic. So Denver has both the playoff mpg leaders and total minutes leaders, which imo contributed to Gordon's apparent late game hamstring injury last night. Here are the top playoff guys for mpg: https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional?SeasonType=Playoffs&dir=A&sort=MIN

I don't think Denver is going anywhere if Gordon has a hamstring injury. Yes, it's possible they could still pull off a game seven if somebody like MPJ or Westbrook gets hot for a game, but extremely unlikely they could win a series against the Wolves if Gordon isn't near 100%. Gordon is a tough, high IQ player who does all the necessary little things, and sometimes big things, on both ends of the court to help win games for Denver.