Keys to the game:
The OKC Thunder is a team that have learned how to win. Even undermanned over this road trip, they are still competing and winning. They have been without Hamidou Diallo for the last month and without Terrance Ferguson for the past four games.
They also lost Danilo Gallinari for a game on the road trip. It has not mattered, their defense has been strong. It is going to need to be against the wings of the Nuggets, the next man up mentality is key.
On top of that, the Thunder have been playing well on offense. They have had games where five players scored more than twenty points, then games where four players had five assists. This team is becoming almost like a chameleon in the way they play. Continuing this is key to defeating the Nuggets as they rank top-10 in ten different defensive categories.
The key match up of the game is always going to be the battle of the big men. Steven Adams is going to have to go beast mode to stop Jokic. The Nuggets center is, as stated above, the key to their offense. When he collects a triple-double the Nuggets are hard to stop. If Adams can make him work hard on defense, Jokic’s offensive prowess may be blunted.