The Western Conference Semifinals tip off May 6 with a potentially explosive matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, pitting the conference's top seed against the defending champions.
Oklahoma City enters this series with impressive momentum after dominating the regular season. The Thunder claimed the West's top spot with a commanding 16-win margin over second-place Houston, while also outpacing Eastern Conference champion Cleveland by four victories. Their playoff run began with a convincing 4-0 sweep of Memphis, suggesting their regular-season excellence has translated seamlessly to postseason play.
The Thunder's attack revolves around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged an outstanding 32+ points during the regular season before a slight reduction to 28 points per game in the first-round sweep. With no reported injuries, Oklahoma City will field their strongest lineup as they look to leverage their home-court advantage.
Denver's path to the semifinals proved considerably more challenging. The Nuggets required all seven games to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers, finally securing advancement with a 120-101 victory in their decisive home game. The extended series means Denver enters with less rest than their opponents.
The Nuggets continue to rely on their cornerstone, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The Serbian center maintained remarkable production during the regular season with averages of 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. His scoring has decreased slightly to 24 points per game in the playoffs, though he continues to produce triple-double level performances. Like their opponents, Denver reports no significant roster concerns.
According to Statbet analysis, the four regular-season matchups between these teams resulted in a perfectly balanced 2-2 split, with three games featuring combined scoring totals exceeding 230 points—suggesting fans should expect offensive fireworks in this series.
Despite the evenly-matched regular season results, bookmakers have established Oklahoma City as significant favorites for the series opener. This likely reflects both their homecourt advantage and additional rest following their first-round sweep, while Denver comes off an exhausting seven-game battle.
Both squads feature elite talent and high-powered offenses, setting the stage for what should be a compelling Western Conference semifinal series.
