After another week’s wait, the Oklahoma City Thunder finally learned their Round 2 opponent. The Denver Nuggets advanced in the 2025 NBA playoffs after a 120-101 Game 7 win over the LA Clippers.

The Thunder took care of business against the Memphis Grizzlies with a Round 1 sweep. From a 51-point win to a two-point win, each game slowly got more competitive as the first seed escaped with a Game 4 win last Saturday and has been off since then.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets survived a grueling back-and-forth first-round series against the Clippers. It was a heavyweight bout that was one of the more entertaining Round 1 battles. Nikola Jokic received help from his teammates throughout the series to get past Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

Before the series starts with Game 1 from Paycom Center on Monday, Thunder Wire will preview the series and break down matchups, X-factors and pencil in a series prediction for the second-round matchup:

The two MVP finalists

This will get all of the headlines — Gilgeous-Alexander against Jokic. One of the greatest MVP races in history will extend beyond the regular season and get at least four more games. While the award votes have already been submitted, this will add to the juicy drama between the rivals.

Neither player had a stellar Round 1 series. Not to their standards, at least. Jokic was forgettable in the last three games against the Clippers, while Gilgeous-Alexander took until Game 4 to put his stamp on the series after being inconsistent in the first three games.

If either team hopes to advance, it’ll boil down to who plays better. Gilgeous-Alexander must return as an efficient 30-point scorer; Jokic has to return to being a monster 30-point triple-double machine. It might be an oversimplification for a sport with several layers of nuance, but basketball is the most individually dependent sport for a reason.

Jamal Murray against Thunder defenders

As Lakers fans can attest, Murray could haunt the dreams of Thunder fans. He’s had one of the more unique careers in NBA history. While he’s never been an All-Star, his reputation is better than most. The NBA champion is known as a playoff riser who steps up when the pressure is at its highest.

You don’t need to look far back to see that in fruition. Murray exploded for 43 points in Denver’s Game 5 win. In the Nuggets’ second win against the Thunder this past season, he went off for 37 points. He might not be the consistent scorer all the other high-end West guards are, but he certainly has the same ceiling as somebody who could win you a game.

In comes Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace. The three-headed defensive monster was excellent in Round 1 against Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Both were invisible. Now it’s time to see if they can duplicate that on Murray, who Denver will rely on to be its second-best scorer with such shallow depth.

Russell Westbrook’s OKC storyline

In the battle of attrition, the Thunder already have the leg up. They’re younger and more rested. By the time Game 1 rolls around, they’d be fresh off nine straight days without a game. Meanwhile, the Nuggets only have one day to celebrate their Game 7 win and prepare for Game 1 against OKC. Their roster is also on the older side.

Now let’s look at the depth charts. The Thunder went 11 deep in their playoff series against the Grizzlies. Nine players averaged 10-plus minutes. Meanwhile, the Nuggets only trust their top six players and then some on the backend of the bench. You can survive with that in Round 1. But that taxes on your legs after that when you’re back to playing every other day.

Here’s where Russell Westbrook could play a role. There’s no question that he comes with his extreme ups and downs. Nobody knows that better than OKC. And at 36 years old, the highs aren’t the same as they were a decade ago. Still, there were moments and games where he was one of Denver’s top players against the Clippers.

Look at Game 7. When the Nuggets looked lethargic at the start, Westbrook provided the jolt of energy they needed to avalanche LA on the scoreboard. He’ll be loud against his old squad. It’ll only be a matter of whether that loudness will help or hurt the Nuggets.

Jalen Williams continues momentum

A Round 1 sweep is filled with plenty of winners. Besides Gilgeous-Alexander, everybody else had a productive series related to their expectations. The top grader in that regard was Jalen Williams. Facing questions on whether the All-Star is a good enough second option for a title contender, he was arguably OKC’s best player against the Grizzlies.

Williams averaged 23.3 points on 54.2% shooting. He found a groove early on and never looked uncomfortable. The rhythm scorer got to his mid-range spots and attacked the basket without a sweat. He was the Thunder’s most consistent scorer in all four playoff games.

The Thunder will need that to continue against the Nuggets. Especially since they have a better offense than the Grizzlies, who took until Game 3 to break 100 points. Williams can’t disappear in the background and should dominate Denver’s bench lineup.

Mark Daigneault against another interim coach

Mark Daigneault will play basketball chess against an interim coach for the second straight playoff series. He ran circles against Tomas Iisalo as his inexperience was shown several times throughout the Round 1 matchup. Now he’ll face off against David Adelman.

The Nuggets one-upped the Grizzlies when they shockingly fired Michael Malone during the regular season’s final week. They also fired GM Calvin Booth. Like Memphis, Denver made the desperate move as a last-second effort to save its season. Unlike Memphis, it worked out as it advanced to the NBA playoffs’ Round 2.

Adelman received the surprising promotion as he’s been a Nuggets assistant since 2017. The bet has paid off so far, but against Daigneault, OKC will have experience on its side. He’s now the sixth-longest tenured NBA coach after Gregg Popovich’s recent retirement.

X-factor: Isaiah Hartenstein

This is why the Thunder backed up the Brink’s trucks in Oregon. After their Round 2 elimination against the Dallas Mavericks last year, one of the biggest takeaways from the disappointing exit was how badly they were killed when Chet Holmgren was off the floor.

That hasn’t happened this season. Hartenstein was a quick fix to that. He was the best center available in last year’s offseason. He’s built like an old-school big but has the skillset of a modern center with his playmaking and patented floater.

The Holmgren-Hartenstein duo made their playoff series debut against the Grizzlies. It worked out perfectly. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey were non-factors for most of the four games. It’s unrealistic to expect them to pitch another shutout against Aaron Gordon and Jokic, but you can’t let them dominate inside the paint.

How playable Hartenstein is in this playoff series could swing the odds one way or the other. The Thunder look their best when he’s on the court. He will be tasked with limiting Jokic’s post moves. And if that fails, Holmgren has a history of being a perfect counter against the three-time MVP winner.

Series prediction

The Thunder were going to be tested against either possibility. The Nuggets are top-heavy but have one of the best starting lineups, headlined by the best player in the world. Meanwhile, the Clippers were one of the deepest teams in the league and have been red-hot since the All-Star break.

This won’t be a cakewalk for the Thunder like the Grizzlies were. All four regular-season matchups showed that the games could go either way. Denver could get hot from the outside and put up 140 points in regulation against the league’s best defense. Meanwhile, OKC can be a win machine and a buzzsaw.

Let’s go with the Thunder in this Round 2 series. They’re rested up and younger. Meanwhile, the Nuggets will have little time to catch their breath. Jokic is scary enough to win a playoff series by himself, but I got to go with one of the greatest regular season teams in NBA history.

Prediction: Thunder in 6