The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are squaring off with the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The matchup pits the two leading MVP candidates, OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokić, against each other with a conference finals berth on the line. Game 1 is set for Monday night in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder had no trouble in the first round, sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies to advance. Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t even shoot all that well in the first round (40.2% from the floor and 25% from 3), but he still averaged a team-high 27.8 points per game. SGA is trying to lead the Thunder to their first conference finals trip since 2016.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, needed all seven games to get past the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. Jokić averaged a triple-double in the series (24.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and 10.1 assists), and Jamal Murray added 22.9 points per game. The Nuggets are in the second round for the sixth time in the last seven years, and got here in 2025 after making a coaching change days before the end of the regular season. Interim coach David Adelman, who replaced Michael Malone, now has more postseason wins than regular-season wins.
Thunder vs. Nuggets schedule
Game 1: Monday, May 5 | Thunder vs. Nuggets | 9:30 p.m., TNT/MaxGame 2: Wednesday, May 7 | Thunder vs. Nuggets | 9:30 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 3: Friday, May 9 | Nuggets vs. Thunder | 10 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 4: Sunday, May 11 | Nuggets vs. Thunder | 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo*Game 5: Tuesday, May 13 | Thunder vs. Nuggets | Time/TV TBD*Game 6: Thursday, May 15 | Nuggets vs. Thunder | Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Sunday, May 18 | Thunder vs. Nuggets | Time/TV TBD
Thunder vs. Nuggets odds
Odds via DraftKings
Game 1 odds: Thunder -9.5, O/U 225
Series odds: Thunder -700, Nuggets +500
CBS Sports will provide key updates below throughout the Thunder vs. Nuggets second-round series.
