Game preview: OKC Thunder won’t be joking around as they seek to take down Nikola’s Nuggets

Facing another talented big man the OKC Thunder seek to even the regular season series versus the Nuggets. Gameday previews breaks down the match.

In the ever shifting tightly grouped Western Conference the Denver Nuggets sit at the top of the ladder once more. The OKC Thunder sit seeded in third, just a half game behind both the Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors.

Having already lost to the Nuggets on November 24, this game carries extra motivation. Granted, playing in Denver is never easy given the high altitude which can leave opponents gasping for air,  particularly early on as opponents adjust to their lungs burning. Fortunately, the OKC Thunder are a relatively young squad who should recover quicker than some of the more mature squads.

Coming into the match the Nuggets are decimated by injuries to key contributors offering a window of opportunity for the Thunder who arrive with only Andre Roberson on the sidelines. Denver is relying heavily on big man Nikola Jokic and guard Jamal Murray with so many key contributors injured.

Jokic has double-doubles in four of his last five games (including a triple-double in Toronto) and hasn’t dished less than five assists since November 9 (16 games ago). Russell Westbrook has caught up to Kyle Lowry as the pair now share the top assists per game (10.0), but Jokic isn’t far behind in ninth with 7.6 dimes per contest.

For his part, Murray has carried a big portion of the offense, but a recent shin contusion has rendered the Canadian a step slow.

Denver has lost two games in their past four following a seven game win streak and have the advantage of rest of three days since their win over Memphis.

Conversely, the Thunder played Monday (win versus Jazz) and Wednesday in the loss to the Pelicans. This is the first game of a back to back set with the Clippers awaiting the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

The loss to the Pelicans was punctuated via a beastly performance from superstar Anthony Davis dropping 44 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. With another talented big man in Jokic on tap, the Thunder will need to overcome his talents to notch the victory.

With that, let’s dive into the keys to victory.