The Denver Nuggets will be on the road Monday night as they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their second-round playoff matchup.
Denver heads into this game fresh off a hard-fought Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, while Oklahoma City enters the series well-rested after a dominant first-round sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Though the Thunder have the advantage of rest, the Nuggets carry momentum from their clutch Game 7 victory and will aim to start the series strong with a win in Oklahoma City.
A key highlight of this series is the showdown between likely top MVP candidates Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, success for both teams will depend on the contributions of their supporting casts.
Denver received encouraging news on the injury front. Aside from DaRon Holmes II—who remains out for the season—the Nuggets report no injuries. Notably, both Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr., who battled injuries during the first round, are available for Game 1.
Westbrook had missed Game 4 with a foot issue sustained before Game 3 but returned to help close out the series. Porter Jr., meanwhile, played through a shoulder injury despite some inconsistency.
As for Oklahoma City, Nikola Topic is the only player listed on their injury report. They will benefit from the return of Ousmane Dieng, who’s back after missing 19 games.
Game 1 between the Nuggets and Thunder tips off at 9:30 p.m. EST on TNT.
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