Preview capsule on the Oklahoma City-Denver Western Conference semifinal series that starts Monday:
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14, 4-0) vs. No. 4 Denver Nuggets (50-32, 4-3)
Season series: Tied, 2-2.
Schedule: Game 1 at Oklahoma City, Monday; Game 2 at Oklahoma City, Wednesday; Game 3 at Denver, Friday; Game 4 at Denver, Sunday; Game 5 at Oklahoma City, TBD (if necessary); Game 6 at Denver, TBD (if necessary); Game 7 at Oklahoma City, TBD (if necessary).
How they got here: The Thunder and Nuggets took decidedly different routes to reach the second round. Oklahoma City swept Memphis and hasn't played since Game 4 of that series on April 26. Denver had to go the distance against the Los Angeles Clippers and enters this series with just one day of rest after its 120-101 victory in Game 7 at home on Saturday night.
Story line: The likely top-two finishers in the NBA MVP race square off as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder take on three-time winner Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. Jokic, who became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the season, also did it against the Thunder with 24.5 points, 15.8 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game. Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's leading scorer with 32.7 points per game, averaged 30.3 against Denver.
Key matchup: Oklahoma City's Lu Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander against Denver's Jamal Murray. In a big series for Canadians, the play of these three guards from there could determine how much scoring help Jokic gets from his point guard. Murray shot 10 for 30 and averaged 14.5 points in the Thunder's two victories, but went for 34 points when Denver won in Oklahoma City on March 10. Oklahoma City can also bring Alex Caruso off the bench to take turns on Murray.
X-factor: Russell Westbrook. Westbrook reliably put up big numbers when he was an All-Star and MVP for the Thunder but now his performances fluctuate wildly, and look no further than his lines this season against his original team for proof. In an opening-night loss, six points on 2-for-10 shooting. When Denver stopped Oklahoma's City 8-0 start to the season on Nov. 6, 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting. That was followed by a 1-for-9, four-point effort in Oklahoma City's other victory, followed by 16 points while going 6 for 10 in a Denver win in the final matchup.
Prediction: Thunder in 5.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press
