The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to wrap up their Western Conference semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 this Thursday. Oklahoma City currently holds a 3-2 lead in the series after their 112-105 victory on Tuesday. The Thunder (68-14), who have an excellent 35-9 record away from home this season (including playoffs), are aiming to reach the conference finals for the first time since the 2015-2016 season. The Denver Nuggets (50-32), the NBA champions from 2022-2023, have a home record of 30-17.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET at Ball Arena in Denver.
Leading the way for the Thunder is point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, continuing his MVP-caliber play. In the Game 5 win over the Nuggets, he finished with 31 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. He also contributed 25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in the Game 4 win on Sunday (92-87). Through nine playoff starts, he is averaging 28 points, 6.7 assists, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 36.9 minutes per game.
Forward Jalen Williams is another crucial piece for Oklahoma City. In his nine playoff starts, he averages 20.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals over 34.9 minutes. He added 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in Tuesday`s victory against Denver. In the Game 3 overtime loss (113-104) on Friday, he scored 32 points, along with 5 assists and 3 rebounds in 43 minutes.
For the Nuggets, center Nikola Jokic remains a dominant force and one of five Denver players averaging double-digit points. In 12 postseason starts, he is averaging 26.5 points, 12.9 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 2.2 steals across 40.4 minutes. He delivered a massive performance in Game 5 with 44 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. In Sunday`s Game 4 loss, he recorded 27 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists.
Point guard Jamal Murray is also performing strongly for Denver in the series. In 12 playoff games, he averages 22.3 points, 5.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 41.8 minutes. In Game 5, he scored 28 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists. During the overtime win in Game 3, he contributed 27 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals.
Jasper Hawthorne