Game 1 between the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder will be talked about for days, weeks and years to come, but it’s time for these teams to square off again, as the Bolts look to hit back at Aaron Gordon and company following a painful loss. Will the Thunder level the series at 1-1? Or, will the Nuggets stun Oklahoma City anew to score a 2-0 series lead?
Catch this game live on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 9:30 AM, Manila time
Away: Denver Nuggets (1-0)
Projected Starting Five:
- Jamal Murray
- Christian Braun
- Michael Porter Jr.
- Aaron Gordon
- Nikola Jokic
Denver’s world revolves around the Serbian sun that is Nikola Jokic, but the bodies that orbit around him also came through for the team in Game 1. Aaron Gordon saved the day for the Nuggets in that contest with his game-winning 3-point shot while also finishing with 22 points and 14 boards. Russell Westbrook came off the bench and scored 18 points. As for Jokic, he pummeled OKC’s defense for 42 points while grabbing 22 rebounds and dishing out six assists.
Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren are nothing but wet cardboards for Jokic, who can always be relied upon to deliver the goods. The rebounding of Gordon and Jokic also plays a pivotal role in this series, as the Nuggets look to win the possession battle. So far in the playoffs, the Nuggets, who outrebounded the Thunder in Game 1 by 20 boards, are No. 1 with a 53.6 percent rebound rate.
Home: Oklahoma City Thunder (0-1)
Projected Starting Five:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Luguentz Dort
- Jalen Williams
- Chet Holmgren
- Isaiah Hartenstein
Having finally tasted defeat in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Thunder will look to use their Game 1 setback as fuel in Game 2. But tangibly speaking, what the Bolts want more is to see some of their key players rebound from inefficient performances in the series opener. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC in Game 1 with 33 points but was just 12-for-26 from the floor while Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams combined for 28 points on 10-for-31 shooting.
But despite shooting just 42.0 percent from the field, the Thunder still came close to coming away with a win. Another positive sign for the Thunder is that their defense still checks out fine. Sure, they got burned by Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets in Game 1, but Denver also shot just 44.2 percent from the field. Among all teams that made the postseason, the Thunder still are No. 1 with a 101.0 defensive rating.
Picks
Spread: Oklahoma City Thunder (-11.0)
Over/Under: Over (229.5)
