Thunder Gameday: Taking on Jokic and the Nuggets

In their lone road game of the week, the Thunder will be in Denver to take on the Nuggets.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be on the road Wednesday night for a matchup against the Denver Nuggets. Currently on a six-game winning streak, the Nuggets have started to hit their stride.

Still fairly shorthanded due to injuries, Oklahoma City will need some of its young core to step up if this matchup is going to stay competitive.

Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports

ODDS:

The Thunder enter the day as 13.5-point underdogs to the Nuggets, and the total over/under is 219.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

These two teams have split the season series to this point, with both teams winning one game against the other. With that in mind, the Nuggets are heavy favorites in this matchup, especially being at home where they’ve gone 17-10 this season.

Nikola Jokic is once again playing at an MVP level for Denver, producing 25.5 points, 13.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists per contest. He’s able to do it all offensively for the Nuggets, being the primary facilitator on many possessions.

Although Jokic is an excellent rebounder, Denver as whole is not. In fact, the Nuggets are bottom ten in the NBA on the glass. The Thunder could look to exploit this, as they’re a top-five rebounding team. When OKC beat Denver earlier in the season, the Nuggets were outrebounded 60 to 39.

Despite giving up 131 points to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, the Thunder defense has been excellent this season. They currently have a top-ten defense, which has been something they’ve relied on all season to counteract their struggling offense.

When it comes down to it, rebounding and the performance of Jokic could be the difference in this one. To match the star center’s production, look for Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to notch his fourth consecutive 30-point game.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (19-42) vs. Denver Nuggets (36-25)

WHEN:

Wednesday March 2, 2022 at 8:00 PM CT

LOCATION:

Ball Arena, Denver, CO

TV/RADIO:

Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD:

“The silent assassin is durability,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on Monday night. In a long 82-game season, especially when shorthanded, the ability to play big minutes is key for a young team.

On the road tonight in Denver, the young guys on the roster will be asked to step up.

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