NBA playoffs: What you can expect in the Thunder-Nugget series

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A team only played four games to achieve this Western Conference semi -final. The other needed every seven (or at least six and three quarters to inflate the clipper over the La clipper). In addition, there has not been much recently to separate in Oklahoma City and Denver, have divided four games this season, have been and each won two series since 2021-22 8-8.

The Semis is as far as a year ago. Okc fell in six Dallas, while Denver failed against Minnesota in game 7. This time one of them is guaranteed a trip to the Western Conference final. But only one.

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Series plan

Here you can find out how to see the Thunder vs. Nuggets series:

Eastern standard time every time

• Game 1: Nuggets at Thunder (Mon. May 5th, 9:30 a.m., TNT)
• Game 2: Nuggets at Thunder (May 7th, 9:30 a.m., TNT)
• Game 3: Donner at nuggets (Fri. 9. May 10 et, ESPN)
• Game 4: Donner at Nuggets (Sun. 11. May, 3:30 ET, ABC)
• Game 5: Nuggets at Thunder (TBD)*
• Game 6: Donner at Nuggets (TBD)*
• Game 7: Nuggets at Thunder (TBD)*

* = If necessary

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Top storyline

Dueling MVPS. You have to go back eight years to find this individual showdown in a after season series. In 2017, Russell Westbrook from OKC and James Harden from Houston, the 1-2 finishers in most valuable players, met in the first round of the West. This time we get the two alleged Vots-Geters in the Thunderwache Shai Gilgeous-Alexander against Nuggets Center Nikola Jokić.

The surveys are of course closed for an award for the regular season. But given the added value of every man for his team, there is really no wrong choice. SGA won the goal crown (32.7 ppg) for the most successful team in the league (68-14). Jokić already has three of the last four Michael Jordan trophies and Reigns as the best player in the NBA, regardless of the total number of the season of a single season.

The two do not match the position, but they are applied with serious skin in every game. Biggest difference? SGA has enough reliable help so that he could have without misfortune outside of the accident (although he usually doesn't do it and in 75 of the 76 games he played 20+ scored). Jokić, on the other hand, does not dare to stumble, or his supporting line -up could disguise himself.

All in all, this is a bonus battle in the major war.

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Keep your eyes on

Playoff Jamal. Jamal Murray's call as a playoff riser is preceded by him. He began to earn “Bubble” in the Playoffs of the Orlando in 2020 and consolidated it with his game in Denvers 2023. Despite a lot of talents, Murray was never an all-star and scored an average of 18 points in eight regular seasons, compared to 24 in 72 playoff games during the game of Game 7 on Saturday via the Clipper. The former played injuries who blocked into an enemy for two weeks in the off -season. He also takes his more difficult responsibility in the post -season and achieved an average of 19.6 shots in the spring, five more than during the season.

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1 more thing that can be seen for each team

For thunder: Okc night after night is how to participate in a master class in the oppressive team defense. The Thunder took first place in defensive efficiency and led the NBA in steals, distractions, sales of the opponents and points from these sales. You have protected the staff, the Big or Ward Small from the pests Lu there and Alex Caruso to versatile Jalen Williams to Big's Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.

The thunder can flash, change or stay at home. They were 19-0 when they held their enemies below 100 points and 50-1 when they were entertained under 110 (Denver was 1-16 when it was not 110 points). And while Jokić (30) and Murray (11) scored 41 -times over 30 points, OKC only allowed one opposing goal scorer to do the 12 times the entire season, which has overall in the league.

For nuggets: Imagine a cross -title boxer who had hiked around the ring every three minutes for 30 seconds, which stretched out his jaw, his arms by his side. So it seems every time Jokić goes to the bench. Denvers fights in so-called “non-Jokić minutes” were written down in the heyday of the big guy-and helped him to demonstrate his value. This season, the Nuggets rated a plus-10.5-Netto rating with him on the pitch … and minus 9.3 points per 100 possessions when he was sitting. The top priority of the nuggets in every series, every series, survives when their triple-double threats bring in a breather. It is not just about the team's backup center, but also, as it is integral Jokić, to carry out a fully functional attack.

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1 key number to know

8.8 – In the regular season, the thunder had the second best sales differential in the 48 seasons, which included sales. And in the first round they committed 8.8 sales less than the grizzlies, the second largest sales differential in every playoff series in the same 48 years.

As in the regular season, the thunder had both the lowest sales rate (10.3 per 100 possessions) and the highest opponent sales rate (18.7 per 100) in the first round. On the offensive, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace combined 25 templates and only three sales. In defense, they had an average of 8.2 and 5.7 distractions per 36 minutes, the highest and fourth highest prices for 134 players who had played at least 50 playoff minutes by Friday.

In the regular season, the Nuggets took 25th place in sales (1.3 per game more than their opponents), and they had 12 more sales (54-42) than the thunder over the four-game relay series. But they were able to share the four games with advantages at the shootout, the free -wing and the re -plump percentage.

– John Schuhmann

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The choice

Donner in five. OKC learned a year ago how to navigate long layoffs between series. They do not rust because they never really rested and instead logged some intensive and focused practices. The nuggets are now fried either after their dominance of the Clipper in game 7 well -oiled or a little of the fast turnaround until Monday. Denvers final experience two years ago is nothing, but the thunder is younger, deeper and more capable of forming with a much closer defense.

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can send it by email Herefind His archive here And Follow him on X.

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