{"id":137624,"date":"2025-05-04T07:00:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T11:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=137624"},"modified":"2025-05-04T05:28:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T09:28:23","slug":"thunder-vs-nuggets-good-for-nba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/04\/thunder-vs-nuggets-good-for-nba\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Thunder vs Nuggets Matchup is Good for the NBA"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a> can be, and how the Denver Nuggets can respond to adversity<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

Why the Thunder vs Nuggets Matchup is Good for the NBA<\/h2>\n

Thunder vs Nuggets: A Matchup for the Ages<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> (2016-17 MVP) battled James Harden<\/a> (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<\/a> and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Westbrook Homecoming<\/h3>\n

For the first time in his career, Russell Westbrook will be playing against his first team,<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

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Russell Westbrook on facing OKC:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat's like home for me. I always got love for everybody there. The people. The fans. I know it\u2019s mutual.<\/p>\n

But they also know the reason they do love me, cause I compete at a high level & I\u2019m gonna do that every night.\u201dpic.twitter.com\/0EEVH57gX3<\/a><\/p>\n

— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) May 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n