Denver is on the cusp of being eliminated after its loss in Game 5 against Oklahoma City.
DENVER — This series could be 3-2 in favor of either team. That’s the beauty of Nuggets vs. Thunder: the basketball has been intense, the fourth quarters have mattered and this isn’t your typical No. 1 vs. No. 4 seed — especially when 18 games separated Denver and OKC during the regular season.
After examining the five games’ worth of evidence in this Western Conference semifinal, ask yourself: Are the Thunder truly 18 games better than the Nuggets?
Not in this series. And this bodes well for basketball Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) with elimination on the line.
The Thunder are a win away from being eight wins away from an NBA championship. The Nuggets are a win away from seeking to salvage their season in a winner-take-all Game 7.
Expect nothing less from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić. Expect either Jamal Murray or Jalen Williams to bring some co-star shine. Expect someone else to meet the challenge and play above their usual contributions, because this happens every time.
And what else can we expect?
Here are four things to watch in a game with obvious urgency for the Nuggets and conference championship implications for OKC.
1. An MVP showdown
This series finally received premium performances from Jokić and Shai in the same game when these Kia MVP finalists went off in Game 5. Jokić (44 points, 15 rebounds) was incredible all game and the Nuggets’ only option in the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points, seven assists) likewise was steady throughout and generated points for himself and teammates in the fourth.
Common sense says to anticipate the same Thursday as these players have pride and much at stake. Gilgeous-Alexander wants to move on, while Jokić wants to salvage the season.
The league hasn’t announced when the MVP will be awarded, and at this point, it won’t happen before the conference finals. Anyway, there’s another close competition happening in this series, which could flip on which MVP finalist does better Thursday and again Sunday (if necessary).
Basketball fans without ties to either team should root for a Game 7 between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić. The drama would be off the charts, and the performances would likely justify it.
2. Big rotational test for Adelman
Did playing too many minutes cost the Nuggets’ starters in their Game 5 loss to the Thunder?
When the Nuggets released Michael Malone just a week prior to the playoffs, David Adelman was elevated and thrown to the fire. That’s why it was a coaching change at a most unusual time: Malone is championship-proven while Adelman never sat in the big chair before.
The interim coach and son of former NBA coach Rick Adelman received his stripes with a first-round win against the Los Angeles Lakers. But this series is putting him on the hot spot, especially Game 6, where he must make adjustments.
Starting with: What to do with Michael Porter Jr.?
Porter scored three points or less in three of the five games in this series. That’s unacceptable for someone whose main job is to hit open jumpers and whose playoff track record wasn’t stellar to begin with (he shot poorly in the 2022 Finals and disappeared in the 2024 West semis).
His misses create a domino effect as the burden falls on others (and the Nuggets aren’t exactly bringing lots of reinforcements). Therefore, does Adelman risk benching Porter in favor of Julian Strawther and/or Peyton Watson, lesser talents who are nonetheless anxious to make a mark?
This is where Denver’s failure to make a deal at the February trade deadline is haunting it. Porter can make Adelman’s job easier with a hot start Thursday, if only to build confidence for himself (and with his teammates) while also putting OKC’s defense on alert. Otherwise, the coach has a massive decision to make.
If Adelman pulls this off, the likelihood of him permanently getting the Nuggets’ coaching job rises.
3. OKC’s 3-D on Jokić
The Thunder are throwing three defenders at Jokić, each offering a different variety. This shouldn’t change on Thursday. Here’s what they offer:
• Isaiah Hartenstein: The best combination of height and heft. OKC signed him last summer for this reason: to make Jokić work. And he has, for the most part.
• Chet Holmgren: He’s too skinny to body-up Jokić in the paint, but don’t let that fool you — Holmgren is a gifted shot-blocker. Even better is when he and Hartenstein are on the floor together. Holmgren cheats off his man and applies the double-team on Jokić, forcing him to shoot over both defenders.
• Jaylin Williams: “J-Will” had a comical exchange with Jokić in Game 5 when they locked arms and neither would release. Jokić was eventually whistled for an offensive foul. Williams is giving up height but brings plenty of lower-body strength, and best of all for OKC, he isn’t scared.
4. Rest for the weary
The Nuggets’ biggest motivation on Thursday — aside from their season being on the line — is the chance to attain something that hasn’t happened since April: rest.
The last time the Nuggets had two days’ rest between playoff games was April 27 and 28 in their first-round, seven-game slog with the LA Clippers. They went straight from that to competing against the top-seeded Thunder, a 68-game winner that took a week off between rounds.
If the Nuggets win Thursday, Game 7 would tip on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Therefore (as if he has much choice), Adelman will probably ask his best players to burn another 40-plus minutes Thursday, even if, as Game 5 showed, they might be gassed by the fourth quarter.
* * *
Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
