Thunder’s Season Outlook Could Hinge On Result Of Game 2 Against Nuggets

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 05: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets is defended by Cason ... More Wallace #22 and Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter of Round Two Game One of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 05, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) Every playoff run comes with adversity. That’s no surprise to anyone who follows professional sports, especially athletes and coaches who compete at that level. After sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder got its first dose of adversity in Game 1 of the second round against the Denver Nuggets. It was a game in which the Thunder had complete control for most of the contest. In fact, Oklahoma City led for nearly 37 of 48 minutes in Game 1. After Denver got off to an early 17-12 lead, OKC made a push and ultimately led by a point after the first quarter and then by 10 at the half. The Thunder’s lead extended to as much as 14 points in the second half, including an 11-point lead with 4:09 left in the game. From there, the Nuggets made a tremendous push late and ultimately stole a victory on a game-winning 3-pointer from Aaron Gordon in transition in the final seconds of Game 1. Despite being the better team for essentially the entire game, Oklahoma City still lost. As such, Game 2 has now become a must-win scenario. While the Thunder would have preferred to win both home games to start the series before traveling to Denver for the next pair of contests, simply tying things up at 1-1 ahead of the venue pivot would still put OKC in a good place. But going down 0-2 heading to Denver for Game 3 and Game 4 later this week would be a significant hole to climb out of. It’s rare for any team to overcome that type of series deficit, especially in a road environment like the one the Thunder would face against the Nuggets and against Nikola Jokic, the best player in the world. In most facets of Game 1, the Thunder should feel good about its performance. Oklahoma City dished out more assists, shot better from beyond the arc, forced more turnovers, got better bench production, and was better overall on both ends — for most of the game. The glaring two issues in that opening contest were the lack of rebounding and the struggles from the free throw line. There’s no question that OKC can win games in the playoffs while losing the battle on the glass, but Denver was able to generate 21 offensive boards en route to pulling down 20 more rebounds overall than the Thunder. The free throws wouldn’t have been as much of a glaring issue if it weren’t for how the end of the game unfolded, as Chet Holmgren missed a pair at the line before the game-winning Nuggets triple. It’s unfair to point to that one sequence of events as the only reason the Thunder lost, but it was certainly the most discussed part of the game afterward. Regardless, Wednesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets is a must-win for the Oklahoma City Thunder. While going into a deficit of 0-2 wouldn’t mean the series is over, it would take a miraculous comeback to ultimately win the series. At that point, the Thunder would have to win four of the last five games in the series, three of which would be in Denver. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholascrain/2025/05/06/thunders-season-outlook-could-hinge-on-result-of-game-2-against-nuggets/