The Oklahoma City Thunder re-asserted their dominant position as championship favorites with their massive win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday. By all measures, they are well-poised to complete their bid for the repeat.
They're 3-0 against the Nuggets this season. Denver is widely considered to be the greatest threat to the Thunder's championship hopes.
Although a Thunder-Nuggets playoff matchup would be must-watch television from a fan's perspective, it's certainly the preferable outcome if Oklahoma City doesn't need to see the Nuggets at all in their run through the Western Conference.
As Denver continues to flail, having won just four of their last 10 games, there remains a serious possibility they drop to the play-in. This would likely leave them facing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round— an ideal scenario for the Thunder.
Can the Thunder really escape a Nuggets matchup in the playoffs?
By no means should Oklahoma City be ducking the Nuggets at this point. They've shown throughout the regular season that they're more than capable of beating them. But if they do end up facing each other in a seven-game series, it will likely be the toughest matchup the Thunder could possibly have.
That matchup is far from guaranteed, however. Even as they get back to full strength, Denver has struggled to push its way back into the upper echelon of the Western Conference. Since Feb. 1, the Nuggets are sixth in the league in offensive rating but a lowly 21st in defensive rating.
They currently sit just one game ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. In spite of Dillon Brooks' absence, the Suns are 6-4 in their last 10 games. They've won three straight, and they'll play seven of their remaining seventeen games against teams below .500.
In all likelihood, the Nuggets will find their footing, placing them in the fifth or sixth seed with a first-round matchup agains the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, or Los Angeles Lakers. If they fall to the play-in, however, a victory in the 7/8-seed matchup would leave them slotted to face off against the Spurs.
Although there are doubts concerning San Antonio's viability as championship contenders, they present a uniquely difficult matchup for Denver with their perimeter shooting abilities and the sheer talent of Victor Wembanyama. No matter which way the series goes, one of the Thunder's two greatest threats would be eliminated in the first round.
As long as this remains a possible outcome, it's one the Thunder must root for desperately.