Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) vs Denver Nuggets (50-32)
Game Info: Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 9:30 pm (Paycom Center)
Betting Odds: Oklahoma City Thunder -11 -- Over/Under: 229.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: TNT
The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to clash in Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinals series on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 9:30 PM ET at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The Nuggets lead the series 1–0 after a thrilling 121–119 victory in Game 1, where Aaron Gordon hit a decisive three-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining.
Despite the Game 1 loss, the Thunder remain 11-point favorites for Game 2, with an over/under set at 230.5 points. Oklahoma City will look to bounce back, and even the series will rely on MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and their depth to counter Denver's momentum. The Nuggets, meanwhile, aim to capitalize on their regained home-court advantage. Nikola Jokić's performance will be pivotal, especially during his minutes off the court, where Denver has struggled. Jamal Murray's consistency will also be crucial against Oklahoma City's elite perimeter defenders.
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Nikola Jokic Over 28.5 Points
Jokic is averaging 29.6 points per game over 70 regular-season appearances. This scoring average ranked him third in the league, trailing only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic. In the playoffs, Jokić continued to lead the Nuggets, averaging 26.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 9.6 assists over eight games. He’s coming off a massive 42-point game in the first game of this series. I just think Jokic poses a lot of problems for the Thunder. When Holmgren is guarding him, Jokic just has too much size, and we saw in game 1 that Hartenstein couldn’t stop him either. In Denver’s first-round matchup against the Clippers, Jokic had a tough matchup against Zubac, but this matchup against the Thunder is more suitable for his game.
Christian Braun Over 5.5 Rebounds
Braun is averaging 5.2 rebounds per game—up from 3.7 the previous season—demonstrating his increased impact and consistency. His rebounding breakdown included 1.2 offensive and 3.9 defensive boards per game. We’ve seen a bump in rebounding numbers since the start of the postseason. Braun has recorded 6+ rebounds in 5 of the last 7 postseason games for Denver. In the first game of this series, he finished the game with 13 rebounds. It’s evident that Denver is going with Braun over Porter Jr. He’ll continue to clean up on the glass throughout this series.
Luguentz Dort Over 10.5 Points
Dort is averaging 10.1 points per game while shooting 43.5% from the field and an impressive 41.2% from three-point range. Dort isn’t known as a main contributor in this Thunder offense, but I like how he played in game 1, scoring 14 points. Denver put a heavy emphasis on stopping SGA and Williams on the perimeter, which opened things up for Dort. This will be a high-scoring series with even guys like Dort contributing to the scoreboard.
Brad’s Pick See Above
AUTHOR: Brad Francis
