Nuggets at Thunder Preview: MVP, last meeting, where to watch, look ahead

Oklahoma City can become the first Western Conference team to clinch a playoff spot tonight.

Monday, March 10th 2025, 11:40 am

By: Jeremie Poplin

Oklahoma City, OK -

Does the NBA have a clear-cut MVP? Make that 58 straight games for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring over 20 points.

SGA is creeping up on the franchise record that is held by Kevin Durant, but most importantly, Sunday night's win solidified the Thunder as the team-to-beat in the Western Conference and helped SGA's MVP case against Nikola Jokić.

The Thunder now hold a 12-game lead over Denver and the Lakers. OKC can clinch a playoff sport with a win tonight or a Golden State loss.

Lineups

Aaron Gordon OUT, DaRon Holmes II OUT, Julian Strawther OUT, Zeke Nnaji Probable, Nikola Jokic Questionable, Jamal Murray Questionable

Isaiah Hartenstein Available, Dillon Jones (GL) Probable

Thunder Dominance

After a shaky start to the second half of the season, the OKC defense has started to look like the defense we witnessed for the majority of the season. The Thunder forced 7 turnovers, 14 blocks, and held Denver to 30% from three. A big part of the win was the difference on the boards, 56-48 in favor of OKC.

Last Matchup

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-103 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. With eight assists and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, Gilgeous-Alexander helped the Thunder extend their winning streak to seven, improving to 53-11. Jalen Williams added 26 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.

Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists for Denver, while Michael Porter Jr. contributed 24 points and 15 rebounds. Jokic, coming off a historic 30-20-20 performance, couldn’t prevent Denver's defeat.

Denver started strong with a 10-0 lead, but Oklahoma City closed the first quarter down by just one, 29-28. The Thunder led 61-60 at halftime and 86-83 heading into the fourth. A crucial play came when Aaron Wiggins stole the ball from Russell Westbrook, leading to a Chet Holmgren dunk and a 98-91 lead. Denver coach Michael Malone was assessed a technical foul, and Williams made the free throw. From there, Oklahoma City held control.