Today’s Top NBA Matchup Could Change Postseason for OKC Thunder

Spurs versus Nuggets will have Playoffs implications for the Thunder.

Jan 4, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) battle for position during an inbound pass in the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are off today, though fans will still need to keep an eye on today’s scores league-wide.

The Thunder’s two biggest season rivals face off against one another today in Spurs vs. Nuggets, which is sure to offer postseason implications for all involved.

Presently, the Thunder sit at No. 1 in the Western Conference, with the Spurs close in tow at No. 2, and Denver at No. 4. OKC is looking to stave off San Antonio in the next few games, and Denver is looking to get back to third, which it has grappled for most of the season.

To this point, Thunder fans should likely be hoping for a Nuggets win. 

Firstly, a San Antonio loss would make it exceptionally hard for the Spurs to grab the No. 1 seed. They already sit 2.0 games back, and that gap would widen to three games with an OKC home win versus the Jazz tomorrow. At that point, Oklahoma City would have some breathing room down the stretch.

Even more important, a Nuggets’ win would put them firmly back in the race for the No. 3 seed, which would put San Antonio and Denver on the same side of the bracket come postseason — an obvious win for OKC. 

The Spurs are one of a few teams on the season to have beaten Oklahoma City twice, and at this point seem the Thunder's top competition to make it out of the Western Conference with an MVP candidate of their own in Victor Wembanyama, and a host of talented guards. While OKC has seen success against Denver so far this season, the two went the distance in last year's seven-game series, and MVP canddiate Nikola Jokic is equally scary. The two facing off against one another in the second round would certainly be a positive for the Thunder.

Denver sits one game back from the Lakers right now, who are now without Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future.

A Spurs win — potentially the more likely of the scenarios given they’ve won 16 of 17 games, an 11-straight — would move them just 1.5 games back from OKC. Additionally, it would move Denver 1.5 games back from LA, not an insurmountable gap all things considered, but certainly a tougher one with the season winding down.

The Spurs and Nuggets tip off at 2 p.m. CT on Prime Video. Oklahoma City takes on the Jazz at 6 p.m. CT tomorrow, April 5.