The Denver Nuggets have been where the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to go.
The Nuggets won the NBA title two seasons ago, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic has done what Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to do this season.
Jokic has not only won the Most Valuable Player award but has won it three times over the previous four seasons.
Sunday, two of the NBA’s top teams and two of the league’s top stars square off in the first of back-to-back matchups in Oklahoma City.
Thunder guard Alex Caruso sees plenty of similarities between the Nuggets’ well-established culture and the one continuing to be built in Oklahoma City.
“There’s a mental resilience and an unwavering faith in the way that they play,” Caruso said of Denver. “You see that. That kind of comes with the leadership style of Jokic and (Jamal) Murray. They’re both pretty calm, pretty even-keeled demeanor, and it’s kind of just rotate and stack possessions which is something that we talk about all the time.
“I think we have a lot of the same qualities with our leaders as far as being ‘next-play guys,’ competing through every single possession even if the last one didn’t go our way, get back to what we want to do and play the next one. …. The togetherness, the way that they play is pretty fluid.”
Both teams are riding hot streaks.
The Nuggets have won back-to-back games and 13 of their last 16 dating back to the end of January.
Jokic is coming off a monster game — 31 points, 21 rebounds and 22 assists — in Friday’s 149-141 overtime win over visiting Phoenix. It was the first time in NBA history a player recorded at least 30 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists in a game and the most ever assists for a center in NBA history, breaking a single-game record set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.
“Nikola Jokic is one of one,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “… I can’t describe him, so don’t ask me to. The guys is just an incredible player, and when you are one of one in this league and the tremendous history of this league, that says a lot.”
The Thunder, with a double-digit lead over the rest of the field in the Western Conference, have won six consecutive games and 15 of their last 17 games.
Oklahoma City is coming off its most unlikely win of the season, Friday’s 107-89 win over Portland.
The Thunder were without not only Gilgeous-Alexander (rest), but also the rest of their top six players as Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace were all out with various ailments.
While all of those players might not be back for Sunday’s matchup, Oklahoma City figures to be a much more complete team against Denver than it was against Portland.
That starts with the return of Gilgeous-Alexander, who is coming off a 41-point game Wednesday in Memphis, two nights after scoring 51 in a win over Houston.
The teams split their two meetings in Denver, with the Nuggets winning the most recent matchup Nov. 6, 124-122.
