Isaiah Joe of the Oklahoma City Thunder puts up a shot in front of Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets during the second half.
The Denver Nuggets (52-28) host the Oklahoma City Thunder (64-16) at Ball Arena on Friday. The Thunder have won all three games against the Nuggets this season and are looking for the season sweep. With that said, all three games were decided by 10 points or fewer.
Here are three key storylines to know heading into today’s matchup:
1. The Nuggets are looking to secure the three-seed: Denver is playing its best ball at the right time, entering this matchup amid a 10-game winning streak. That late-season surge has them just one win away from clinching the three-seed in the Western Conference. They’ve been neck-and-neck with the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves for that spot, but the 2023 Champions have been playing the best basketball of that bunch.
What’s really helped turn things around is the Nuggets’ health. Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson both returned right around when that streak started, and it’s really given this team a boost next to All-Stars Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. Johnson has really found his groove since his return, averaging 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 56 percent over the last 15 fixtures. That’s close to what Michael Porter Jr. was providing in the past, and that’s what Nuggets fans want to see.
2. The Thunder clinched homecourt on Wednesday: Oklahoma City had the best record in the NBA last season, and they achieved that goal again this year. A 128-110 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday secured Oklahoma City the best record in the league and homecourt advantage throughout the postseason. It also marks OKC’s seventh straight win and gives them a 19-1 record across their last 20 outings.
Seeing the best team in the NBA get this hot heading into the playoffs is a scary sight for the rest of the league, and they’re also getting healthy. Jalen Williams just returned to action two weeks ago, and this team will have a week off before their first playoff game after securing homecourt advantage on Wednesday.
3. MVP candidates on display: This MVP battle has been an exciting race all season long, and today’s matchup will feature one of the top three candidates.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP, averaging 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game this year. Nikola Jokić has recorded a triple-double in 11 of his last 16 outings, averaging 27.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Both of these guys are worthy candidates, but Victor Wembanyama is also in the discussion. The Spurs’ big man is averaging 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.1 blocks while carrying San Antonio to the second-best record in the NBA. It’s unclear which of these guys will be crowned, but this is one final opportunity for Jokić to at least sway some voters.
