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

[Wolfgang630]

Like the betting spread has OKC has the huge favorite with even all the experience and best player that the Nuggets have. This is one of the biggest chokes of all time if they lose.

[RHODEY]

Like the betting spread has OKC has the huge favorite with even all the experience and best player that the Nuggets have. This is one of the biggest chokes of all time if they lose.

Its just one game and IMO Jokic is the best player on the planet...so they have a chance.

[Optms]

Thunder have looked soft this entire round.

One thing is for sure, anyone that thinks they will just cruise to a title if they win today is kidding themselves. They aren't getting past the Knicks. Not from that I've seen. Wolves will be a tossup.

[Mrakar]

Thunder have looked soft this entire round.

One thing is for sure, anyone that thinks they will just cruise to a title if they win today is kidding themselves. They aren't getting past the Knicks. Not from that I've seen. Wolves will be a tossup.

Lol they would destroy the Knicks if they meet in the finals. A lot of guys to throw at Brunson, Towns would foul out every game. Knicks have good wing defenders to counter Celtics, but OKCs point of attack is at guard.

[Optms]

Thunder have looked soft this entire round.

One thing is for sure, anyone that thinks they will just cruise to a title if they win today is kidding themselves. They aren't getting past the Knicks. Not from that I've seen. Wolves will be a tossup.

Lol they would destroy the Knicks if they meet in the finals. A lot of guys to throw at Brunson, Towns would foul out every game. Knicks have good wing defenders to counter Celtics, but OKCs point of attack is at guard.

Okc can't even handle Christian Braun and they are gonna slow down Brunson?

Celtics wing defense have slowed players like Luka and Kyrie. Again, Christian Braun is giving OKC fits for crying out loud.

[Mrakar]

I hope NBA doesnt put Scott Foster on the call tonight. We need NBA game decided by NBA players, not ref **** where refs want to be in the spotlight.
And pls no Mark Jones tonight also, he is terrible, and he is even worse when he calls the Nuggets games.

[MrPainfulTruth]

I will never forget that time he went flop for flop with LeBron

The thing with Joker is that he actually isnt a flopper, meaning he isnt ever the one to initiate the flopping. He will always try to play basketball instead. But once he gets called for a few flops while not getting a call on actual fouls his IQ makes him seek a solution and sadly its embellishing contact (not actually flopping like LeBron, Harden or SGA). He still gets the worst whistle of all superstars meaning he has to absorb absurd amounts of contact before they call it.

You me friend are in serious need of some glasses.

Maybe i should make myself more clear. First off i think there are different kinds of plays all being called "flop" these days. But are they really the same?
1. The true flop - no contact, pure acting (LeBron, Dort)
2. Offensive player seeks contact and then embellishes it (D-Wade, Harden, SGA)
3. Actual foul happens but through the course of the game its becoming clear that the referees do not call it unless embellished (Manu, Joker and many others, basically every charge taken)

Would you say Jokic belongs in category 1 or 2 as well? I have seen him go to type 2 as a reaction (last game we had back to back plays where they called the foul in favor SGA first and Joker was upset and did the exact same thing on the other end). He sometimes will do the rip through thing that also belongs in category 2. I've never seen him throw his limbs around hoping to catch someone and get the call though, because he simply wont get it most of the time and instead will get called for a foul himself.

[jkvonny]

Do they announce the MVP award before this game? Taking way longer than usual. If Shai gets his MVP ceremony right before the game starts that would add some nice drama to this game.

It's been discussed in the last game thread but most us believe that OKC brass asked the NBA not to announce it until after the series is over because they don't want to piss Joker off while they're still playing them, which is obviously hilarious. But that's literally the only explanation because the past 3 years it was announced during the first week of May. It will be almost the 3rd week of May when it is announced this year. It's been so long now that most people don't even care about it anymore. Each passing day people lose interest as the Playoffs roll on. It's such a horrible marketing strategy that there's no way the NBA would do this on their own accord, which is why I believe OKC brass likely asked them not to announce it until after the series.

Fellow Spurs fan here. We all remember 1995.
David Robinson. Rockets Hakeem Olajuwan clown him in the WCF right after the MVP announcement.
Ugh! That was our yr to finally get over the hump.
Rockets ended up winning the series and then upset the Magic in the NBA Finals.

OKC is smart on their part

[jkvonny]

Btw. I think OKC closes it today.
AG is a big loss for the Nugz. OKC at home.

[Johnny Firpo]

What would be even funnier is Shai getting the MVP and sending Jokic to Serbia

How would it be funnier, since they were the overwhelming favorites? You seems to have a problem with understanding premises, humor.

It would be funnier cause it would make me laugh more

Yeah, that doesn't make it funnier, that's gloating, a separate thing. The premise can still only be considered funny one way, and would only work the other way if Joker would have won MVP.

[Mrakar]

It was stresfull month for me as Nuggets/Jok suporter, that Clippers series was wild, this one also. I think my productivity at work next day was dependant on Nuggets win/loss night before. Somehow i woke up today totally calm, not as stressed as i thought i would be. I somehow realised that Nuggets overachieved already and that they had a solid PO even if they lose tonight.
After 75th game of the season no1 believed they can be serious contender this year.
And so far they sent home the betting favourite Clippers(NBA analyst(not only espn crew) had the Clippers also, as well as realgm board), and now they pushed 68 win OKC, a huge betting and analyst favourite, to a game 7 with 6.5 man rotation, while everyone thought it will be a short series.
Tonight they are away team against the best team in the NBA this season. 3rd best player is probably not playing, and even if he does he will be severly limitted. Best shooter played basicly with one hand whole series, his shooting and especially rebounding was affected ofc.
The fact that Nuggets are still in this series is a wonder, and whatever happens tonight will not change a fact that they are resilient team with by far the best player in the world. Yes, win would be great, but if someone asked me at 70/75 game mark for their season to end in game 7 against OKC on the road i would take it.

[stoo]

16-12

[hardenASG13]

Jokic cooked Harden. Just let it go already fam. Your obsession with Joker is too much.

Your obsession with my username needs to be let go, fam. I'm not a Harden fan, check my post history on that. Nice deflection from my point though, classic sharkboy....you must really like sharks! Or maybe you are a shark?

My bad, there’s a few posters with Harden in their username who tend to hate on Jokic.

But if your username is HardenASG on a basketball forum what would you expect people to assume?

I get the confusion. I was a fan of KD coming out of college, and a Thunder fan for the whole KD/Russ period. I made the username in the 2012 season as an OKC fan, predicting Harden would be an all star in 2013. He was, just for the Rockets. I have no favorite team now, favorite players to watch currently are Wemby by a mile, then Paolo.

[Dadouv47]

It was stresfull month for me as Nuggets/Jok suporter, that Clippers series was wild, this one also. I think my productivity at work next day was dependant on Nuggets win/loss night before. Somehow i woke up today totally calm, not as stressed as i thought i would be. I somehow realised that Nuggets overachieved already and that they had a solid PO even if they lose tonight.
After 75th game of the season no1 believed they can be serious contender this year.
And so far they sent home the betting favourite Clippers(NBA analyst(not only espn crew) had the Clippers also, as well as realgm board), and now they pushed 68 win OKC, a huge betting and analyst favourite, to a game 7 with 6.5 man rotation, while everyone thought it will be a short series.
Tonight they are away team against the best team in the NBA this season. 3rd best player is probably not playing, and even if he does he will be severly limitted. Best shooter played basicly with one hand whole series, his shooting and especially rebounding was affected ofc.
The fact that Nuggets are still in this series is a wonder, and whatever happens tonight will not change a fact that they are resilient team with by far the best player in the world. Yes, win would be great, but if someone asked me at 70/75 game mark for their season to end in game 7 against OKC on the road i would take it.

resiliency defines your team very well and you should be proud of them.

Feel like this game 7 is so much more important to OKC because Aaron Gordon harmstring won't go away if it's really serious and I have no clue how u can handle the Wolves without him. That being said, I wouldn't bet a penny against Jokic in a game 7 against a very shaky team like ours.

Glad to read some true Nuggets fans that are proud of their team instead of bashing guys like Murray that are outstanding.

[HardenGoat]

Gordon is going to play with a minced hammy, MPJ a torn rotator cuff, and Jamal will be a game time decision after contracting Malaria. Nuggets for the win!!!

[WestbrookGOATed]

It's almost time. May the best team win and the refs take a backseat.

[JulesWinnfield]

Shams just went on espn and said it’s a grade 2 for Gordon which could take a month to heal. Probably out for the playoffs

[LFGK]

Thunder have looked soft this entire round.

One thing is for sure, anyone that thinks they will just cruise to a title if they win today is kidding themselves. They aren't getting past the Knicks. Not from that I've seen. Wolves will be a tossup.

Lol they would destroy the Knicks if they meet in the finals. A lot of guys to throw at Brunson, Towns would foul out every game. Knicks have good wing defenders to counter Celtics, but OKCs point of attack is at guard.

Sounds like Detroit fans and Celtic fans and now pacer fans, there is not one person on the thunder thats going to neutralize Brunson, last 2 years 26/7 against them. It would be a great series if it happens for sure but I think Denver comes out on top today. Jokic in a single game elimination, I don't like it

[Letsgokings]

Gordon is overrated as ****. Nuggets don't need him. Nuggets got this if Murray can shoot anywhere above 40%

[durden_tyler]

Jokic 50 pt game (possible) is the only way Denver pulls this off.


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