Nikola Jokic Tabs OKC Thunder As 'Scary Team' Ahead of NBA Playoff Bout

The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Denver Nuggets in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs. Nikola Jokic and head coach David Adelman gave the OKC Thunder high praise.

Mar 10, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) smiles after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Time flies in the NBA. For a second, you are celebrating a hard-fought series win that took until Game 7 to determine a winner. In the next blink, you have to set your sights to the next challenge: a 68-win squad that has had over a week off.

The Denver Nuggets dominated the LA Clippers in Game 7 to set up a meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2. Before the Nuggets could fully let its win against the Clippers set in, Denver was peppered with questions about its next foe.

Superstar Nikola Jokic offered the OKC Thunder high praise ahead of Game 1 of their Round 2 date. Going as far as to say Oklahoma City is a squad worth fearing.

"They're definitely a very scary team on both ends. They're really playing, pushing the pace. They're trying to attack your back, trying to attack your position. Everything they do is really hard, really full speed. Hopefully we can match them on that end and exceed that," Jokic said fresh off beating the Clippers in Game 7.

These sentiments were echoed by Jokic's bench boss, interim coach David Adelman, who shared what he thinks makes the Oklahoma City Thunder so great.

“They’re the best team in the NBA throughout this season. I had a good friend make me feel awful. I said, if we win this series, we’ve got to play a team that’s 68-14. He said, No, they’re 72-14. I said, okay, that’s right. Appreciate that, bro.” Adelman joked. "We know what this is. Their defense is so impactful, they turn you over, they have great one-on-one players and depth. Very good coaching staff, that sets them up to be the aggressive team they are on both ends."

This will be a hard-fought series between the two division rivals. Oklahoma City will play host to Denver on Monday, May 5 at 8:30 PM CT.