NBA League Pass Featured Matchup: Thunder vs Nuggets (9 ET)

Is this a possible sneak peek at the Western Conference Finals?

After the NBA took Tuesday off for the purposes of the U.S. election, Wednesday sees the league return to action. In the mix we have an exciting game. The Denver Nuggets won the NBA title two seasons ago. Oklahoma City finished with the best record in the Western Conference last season and are off to a torrid start to this campaign. Oh, and the top two in last season’s MVP voting are squaring off. Here are five things to get you ready for Thunder-Nuggets on Wednesday.

1. The Thunder are rolling: No NBA team goes undefeated. In time, every team will lose, and lose multiple times. To start this season, though, two teams remain undefeated. Those teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers and, yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not only are the Thunder 7-0, but they have a staggering plus 17.4 point differential. It’s the best start the Thunder have had since moving to Oklahoma City.

2. Denver needs a substantive win: While the Nuggets are 4-3, their wins have come against the Nets, the Jazz, and the Raptors two times over. of those teams are expected to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Western Conference contenders such as Minnesota and, hey, Oklahoma City have beaten them. In fact, in Denver’s season opener, the Thunder breezed to a 102-87 victory.

3. Jamal Murray may be out of action: The Nuggets haven’t gotten off to the start that many expected and Murray’s absence is a significant piece of the puzzle that has been missing. Murray is dealing with a concussion and if he does not clear the protocol, the Nuggets will be without him for a third straight game.

4. MVP stock watch: Last season, Nikola Jokić won his third MVP, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second. How are those two looking this season? Pretty darn good if you ask us. Jokić has averaged an incredible 29.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game, though some would argue he’s having to do too much for his team. Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 25.7 points and over six rebounds and assists per game as well. SGA has also averaged a block and a steal, a reminder of his defensive acumen that could push him over the top in an MVP race.

5. Nikola Jokić vs. Chet Holmgren: After sitting out what would have been his rookie season with an injury, Holmgren saw the court last year and put up a campaign worthy of Rookie of the Year in almost any season. Unfortunately for him, Victor Wembenyama exists. This year, Holmgren has eased concerns of a sophomore slump and has been especially active defensively. The Gonzaga alum has pulled down 8.0 defensive rebounds a night and averaged a whopping 3.1 blocks per game. Seeing Holmgren and Jokić going at one another is definitely a matchup you won’t want to miss.