Experts in Unanimous Agreement on Outcome of Thunder-Nuggets Series
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The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is off and running, with more series set to begin soon. One of the more interesting series comes from the Western Conference as the Denver Nuggets will be taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Denver is coming off a thrilling seven-game series victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Nuggets were tested in almost every way imaginable by Los Angeles, but still found a way to survive the series.
Oklahoma City has been off for multiple days after they swept the Memphis Grizzlies out of the postseason. The top-seeded Thunder enter this series as the prohibitive favorites, despite the experience that the Nuggets bring to the table.
NBA.com had a panel of experts weigh in on the series before it starts. Every single one of them is going with the Thunder to win the series over the Nuggets.
Here is how the panel shook out:
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: Thunder
Charles Barkley, NBA on TNT: Thunder
Brian Martin, NBA.com: Thunder
Shaquille O'Neal, NBA on TNT: Thunder
Shaun Powell, NBA.com: Thunder
John Schuhmann, NBA.com: Thunder
Kenny Smith, NBA on TNT: Thunder
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 6: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on November 6, 2024 in Denver, Colorado.
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 6: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on November 6, 2024 in Denver, Colorado.
Photo byThe Thunder were the best team in the NBA all season long, pretty much obliterating teams along the way. They entered the postseason as the favorites to win the NBA title, and the first-round series against the Grizzlies helped to justify that thinking.
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But the Nuggets are only two seasons removed from winning the title themselves, and they have a very similar core group of players. This Denver team is experienced and has the tools to pull off the massive upset.
The series also features two of the three finalists for the NBA MVP award this season. Both Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had spectacular seasons, but Gilgeous-Alexander holds the edge in the race.
Even with every expert picking the Thunder, this series could end up being the best of the second round. Both sides have something to prove, potentially making for pure entertainment on the court.
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