The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets met for the first game of a head-to-head back-to-back on Sunday afternoon, and just five minutes into the game, the Nuggets held a commanding 14-3 lead. OKC was able to stop the bleeding, and that’s as big as Denver would lead in the game as the Thunder managed to storm back to make it a 1-point game heading into the second quarter.
By the start of the fourth period, neither team had led by much, and the game was about what you would expect from the top two teams in the Western Conference. OKC proved to be too much as time wound down, preventing Denver from scoring before knocking down threes that had not been falling all game. In the end, the Thunder finished with a convincing 127-103 victory.
A Sunday matinee! ⚡️@royceyoung delivers his 3 Things from the first of two in a row vs the Nuggets 🎤 pic.twitter.com/6CTXN0Ix7c
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 10, 2025
OKC and Denver face off again tonight, and despite yesterday’s outcome, it’s back to 0-0. The Thunder’s youth may be an advantage tonight as neither team gets much rest, but Denver’s experience will undoubtedly allow them to make adjustments and come back refocused.
The Nuggets had several guys on the injury report before yesterday’s meeting who ended up playing, and after playing extended minutes for two straight games, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Denver keep at least a couple of key players out. Aaron Gordon left early with a strained calf, so he probably won’t play tonight, and Nikola Jokic has dealt with ankle inflammation lately, but I’d bet him to play tonight. For OKC, Chet Holmgren has yet to play in both games of a back-to-back, but he is not on the injury report, so he should be in the starting lineup tonight.
All teams deal with injuries and have to decide to rest guys at certain points, and while this game might seem more serious than others, it really is just 1 of 82. The MVP argument of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nikola Jokic is a fun one to have, but it’s probably an exaggeration to expect the award to be decided in these two games. Regardless of who plays, both teams are going to be hungry for a win after yesterday’s battle, and it should be a fun night of basketball.
Game Details
Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Television: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live tweets and discussion during the game
Game Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder Official Game Notes, Denver Nuggets Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Luguentz Dort
- SF: Jalen Williams
- PF: Chet Holmgren
- C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Nuggets
- PG: Russell Westbrook
- SG: Jamal Murray
- SF: Christian Braun
- PF: Michael Porter Jr.
- C: Nikola Jokic
Injury Report
Thunder
- Branden Carlson (G League — two-way) is OUT.
- Alex Ducas (G League — two-way) is OUT.
- Adam Flagler (G League — two-way) is OUT.
- Isaiah Hartenstein (nasal fracture) is AVAILABLE.
- Dillon Jones is AVAILABLE.
- Ajay Mitchell (sprained right great toe) is OUT.
- Nikola Topic (left knee surgery) is OUT.
Nuggets
- Aaron Gordon (strained right calf/sprained left ankle injury management) is OUT.
- DaRon Holmes (right Achilles tendon repair) is OUT.
- Nikola Jokic (left ankle impingement inflammation/right elbow contusion) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Jamal Murray (left knee inflammation) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Zeke Nnaji (sprained left ankle) is PROBABLE.
- Julian Strawther (sprained left knee) is OUT.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 30-33 against the Nuggets (18-14 at home, 12-19 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series with the Nuggets 7 times, lost it 8 times, and tied it once.
- The Thunder went 3-1 against the Nuggets last season (1-1 at home, 2-0 on the road).
- So far this season, the Thunder is 2-1 against the Nuggets (1-0 at home, 1-1 on the road).