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It’s do-or-die for both sides tonight as we hit the peak of NBA Playoff matchups with a good old Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder take home court advantage, but will it be enough to get them over the line into the Semi-Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, or will Denver steal all the glory?
The game tips off this afternoon at 3:30 PM ET, so review our picks for Game 7 between the Nuggets and Thunder and choose whether they’re something you want to fade or follow!
The Nuggets experienced a similar series in the first round against the LA Clippers, where they finished off the series 4-3 with their last game at home. While the Thunder are a completely different ball game, the Nuggets started the series with a 121-119 win. The series went back and forth nearly every game, with Game 2 ending with a 149-106 defeat, before Game 3’s OT result would end in favor of the Nuggets, 113-104. Game 4 saw fewer points, ending 92-87 in favor of OKC, where the Thunder would win back-to-back in Game 5 at home 112-105. Game 6 was an elimination game for Denver, as they pulled the series to 3-3 after a 119-107 victory.
Nikola Jokic can be hugely credited with Thursday’s win over OKC, recording 29 points, 8 assists and 14 rebounds. Jokic continues to have some of the best postseason numbers, repping 26.7 PPG, 13 REB, 8.1 AST, 2.2 STL, and we expect him to have another big game. Teammate Christian Braun was the only other Nuggets player to record a double-double in Game 6, scoring 23 points to go with 5 assists and 11 rebounds. Jamal Murray was also vital to their last victory with 25 points, 7 assists and 8 rebounds, and he continues to have an immaculate playoff run with 22.5 PPG, 5.5 AST and 5.1 REB. Forward Aaron Gordon’s rebounds proved important to their most recent victory, and if he adds to his postseason tally of 16.8 PPG, 7.3 REB and 2.9 AST, the Nuggets will be a force to be reckoned with.
The OKC Thunder easily blew out the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, taking the series 4-0 in a crushing win with 110+ points every game. Denver has tested the Thunder’s playoff ability, and Game 7 will be another challenge for this young OKC squad.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a point-scoring machine, racking up 32 points with 6 assists and 3 rebounds in Game 6. While it wasn’t enough to edge the win, he continues to have an incredible playoff run, recording an average of 28.4 PPG, 6.6 AST and 6.2 REB. Despite forward Jalen Williams only recording 6 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds in Game 6, he continues to lead his team in the postseason with 19.2 PPG, 5.6 AST and 5.4 REB. Chet Holgren was the only OKC player to record a double-double in his last game, recording 19 points, 1 assist and 11 rebounds, and he’ll be a crucial player for the Thunder tonight, as he averages 16 PPG and 9.6 REB so far in the playoffs. If Jalen Williams can turn around his lackluster points for Game 6 with the help of Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder could be moving on to the Western Conference Finals tonight.
Both teams will be giving it their all, because for one of them, it will be their last game of the season. While OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can drop buckets without a doubt, so can Denver’s Nikola Jokic, with the addition of his large quantity of offensive and defensive rebounds. The only way for the Thunder to secure a comfortable victory here is if Jalen Williams turns up the heat in putting up points on the board, in addition to Gilgeous-Alexander.
That said, I predict the Denver Nuggets will come out of this one with a win. Considering how crucial rebounds will be, as long as Nikola Jokic hits 30+ points (with rebounds to match) with Jamal Murray to back him up, the Nuggets may move on to face the Timberwolves in the WCF.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.