With one of the Western Conference Semifinals matchups finally locked in, the Thunder meeting the Nuggets seems to be a good look for the NBA. We have seen how dominant the Oklahoma City Thunder can be, and how the Denver Nuggets can respond to adversity. As this showdown between two MVPs will finally collide, fans are going to enjoy an intense playoff clash. However, the NBA will be the ultimate winner for this. There is a lot of hype building up to this series which will begin on Monday.
Why the Thunder vs Nuggets Matchup is Good for the NBA
Thunder vs Nuggets: A Matchup for the Ages
OKC and Denver have met in the Oklahoma City era of the franchise only once in the playoffs. The last time they played each other, the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 4-1 in the first round back in 2011. But the two teams are way different than before, and both are reasonable contenders, especially with Denver winning a title in 2023.
As both teams are expected to ramp it up, this series will be going for a ride. We are going to see an MVP vs MVP showdown – the first time that the top two candidates for the award have faced off in a series since 2017. Russell Westbrook (2016-17 MVP) battled James Harden (2016-17 MVP runner-up), with the latter winning in the first round with Houston. Now it is going to be a historic battle between the likely 2024-25 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
As the excitement begins to brew, some storylines will unfold in this series. Each of these will make the series more exciting, and it is something fans do not want to miss.
Westbrook Homecoming
For the first time in his career, Russell Westbrook will be playing against his first team, the Thunder, in the playoffs. Since his trade in 2019, Westbrook has not played the Thunder in a seven-game series. Whenever he plays in the Paycom Center, however, the crowd has shown him love. So expect this to be a bittersweet feeling for OKC fans as they try to take down their former franchise player.
Russell Westbrook on facing OKC:
“That's like home for me. I always got love for everybody there. The people. The fans. I know it’s mutual.
But they also know the reason they do love me, cause I compete at a high level & I’m gonna do that every night.”pic.twitter.com/0EEVH57gX3
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) May 4, 2025
Westbrook was pure brilliance in their Game 7 win versus the Los Angeles Clippers. The beast was unleashed as he scored 16 points on 5-9 shooting from the field, including five rebounds, five assists, and five steals. He is coming off the bench, which adds a surge of energy for Denver once he enters the game.
The last time Westbrook played in OKC on March 10, he scored 16 points (6-10 shooting) to go along with seven assists and five rebounds. The Denver guard is averaging 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in four games versus OKC this season.
The MVP Showdown
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are out, so the spotlight will be on the Thunder vs Nuggets. One less MVP candidate to watch means that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will get the media attention he deserves. Of course, the pressure is on Jokic to keep the Denver squad afloat in this pivotal series.
SGA and Jokic have been toe-to-toe in the MVP race for most of the 2024-25 NBA season. All the Thunder/Nuggets games this year have been fun to watch, especially since they ended in a 2-2 split. It is hard to predict how this series is going to look like in seven games. However, one can say that the MVPs are definitely going to shine bright.
JOKIC VS. SHAI 🥶
The MVP candidates will clash in the conference semifinals! pic.twitter.com/UypXEjvyQp
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 4, 2025
Jokic played seven games in the opening round and averaged 24.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists on 50% shooting. On the other hand, SGA did not always look like himself in four games, but averaged 27.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds on 40.2% shooting. The Thunder still were able to sweep the Memphis Grizzlies.
Big Series for the NBA
With the Thunder vs Nuggets series set on national television, this is really good for the NBA as the expected fan viewing numbers should be quite high as they will want to tune in to see the top two MVP candidat. If this series goes to seven games, NBA fans are definitely going to tune in, and the NBA wins with this kind of spectacle coming right up.
Photo credit: © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
