'Ultracompetitiveness:' OKC Thunder Broadcast Reporter Nick Gallo describes playoff atmosphere

With the Oklahoma City Thunder entering the second round of the NBA playoffs, the entire organization is gearing up for Monday night's matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets, led by three-time MVP and former Thunder All-Star Russell Westbrook, recently ended its series against the Los Angeles Clippers with a win in Game 7, meaning they will face a short turnaround before playing the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

SEE ALSO: Thunder Up: OKC prepares for NBA playoff matchup against Denver

Oklahoma City Thunder Broadcast Reporter Nick Gallo, who covers the team on the court and has become known for his post-game camaraderie with the team, joined News 9 on Monday to discuss what the playoffs mean for the Thunder and Oklahoma City as a whole.

Q: Thunder had a long break, which is unusual. How's the break been? Are they gonna be ready to go? 

A: Well, I've been joking with the guys that they've had a second training camp here over the last week or so, but that's the benefit that you get, the rest when you win a series 4-0 like they did over the Memphis Grizzlies. They're going to be facing a team in Denver that has been playing night in and night out in these highly competitive, late-game, supercharged environments. So that little battle between rest versus a team that's maybe been primed over the last week or so will be quite the breakdown. A clash of two incredible teams coming up against each other. 

Q: It is a late tip-off tonight, so what are some of the key storylines to this series that we need to watch out for? 

A: Well, the Thunder has tremendous depth. They've obviously got the star talent in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is one of the prime MVP candidates, probably the leader for that. Of course, such a young team. This Thunder team, still an average age of just 24 years old, would be one of the youngest teams ever to go far into the playoffs. Whereas Denver, they're a battle-tested team; they've won an NBA championship before. We talked about the rest versus the team that's been battling every night. It's also experience versus youth, and so those two things, the youth, there might not be as much experience, but you definitely have the fresh legs too, so that should be an exciting clash of styles. 

Q: Russell Westbrook now plays for Denver, he's coming back to Oklahoma City fans who love Russell. How do you think that dynamic will play out? 

A: He's an excellent player, and he's one of the many players who have come through Oklahoma City and put their fingerprints on this organization. He had a massive impact on this place. The state, and obviously the Thunder organization, are very happy for him and everything he's got going. The fans, of course, too. I'm sure that they're gonna be primed. They can come down to Scissortail Park at 5:00 p.m. for Thunder UP in the Park. 6:30 p.m., the doors open, and it's half-off all concessions. 

Q: Do you think the Thunder have gained the respect of everybody?

A: They're really focused on this mindset of competing together and staying inside the walls of their practice facility and their huddles. What they're really focused on is actually something that you don't hear teams talk about very much in the playoffs: "Can we get better during the playoffs? Can we actually improve?" A lot of times, teams think of themselves as a finished product. Come the end of the season, this Thunder team being so young, they're still 24, they still have so much room to grow. So much opportunity, even in the playoffs, even in high leverage situations, to actually get better. That's really what they're focused on.

Q: How do you think this round of playoffs will go?

A: You can't predict anything, and of course, you'd love to see the way that the Thunder took care of business, and they won in so many different ways in that Memphis series. Had a massive blowout, they had to protect the lead, they came charging back from a 29-point deficit, and then they won one of those tight squeaker games that you always see in the playoffs. You never know how it's going to play out. Maybe you see the same thing, maybe you see a hard-fought 7-game series, but the focus and the approach is one of possession, one game at a time. That's something that, despite their youth, the Thunder has been so amazing at. They've been so present in competition. They've been so locked into being where their feet are, and that's what's made them a 68-win team this year.

Q: You've been here so long, there's just such an affinity for you. How does that make you feel?

A: It's an honor of a lifetime. This city is so amazing, it's meant the world to me. When I moved here, I didn't think that I would be here for more than two or three years, but this place has changed me and changed my life forever. Met my wife here, we have three kids, it's so special. Then, to have on top of that, these players who don't owe me anything, and they have done something that only a few hundred people in the entire world can do, which is win an NBA game. So for them to include me in what they do and to celebrate each other after the games is an incredible honor, and I'm so grateful.

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Monday night's game tips off at 8:30 p.m.