Nuggets or Clippers: Better Matchup for OKC Thunder?

On Tuesday night, the Nuggets took down the LA Clippers by double-digits, coasting off Jamal Murray’s 43-point performance, as well as the continued elite play of its reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.

Despite the game taking place in Denver, the Clippers felt the favorite, having won two of the first three games and very narrowly losing Game 4.

Down 2-1 in the series, Denver seemed somewhat dead in the water, unable to put together a strong enough offensive product to offset its defensive woes. But after Game 3 heroics from forward Aaron Gordon and Murray’s supernova in Game 4, they now have a 3-2 advantage.

The Thunder have been patiently waiting for a few days already, having swept the Grizzlies in a quick four games. The staff and team assuredly don’t care who they face in Round 2 — or at least won’t give away as much — but who do the Thunder actually match up better against?

The answer is undoubtedly the Clippers.

The Nuggets are a scary postseason team for a few reasons. Despite just how unprecedentedly good OKC’s defense was, Jokic is an offensive surgeon. Able to score against mismatches at will, sometimes even dominate talented defensive players and pass out of doubles at any given time. 

Oklahoma City plays a versatile defensive style, switching between man, zone, heavy doubles and everything in between. They can play on a string, or free-style with creativity. But when a player like Jokic is on and in-rhythm, it doesn’t much matter, as seen by the Thunder’s two regular season losses to Denver.

Additionally, Murray’s affinity for getting hot and seeing straight through defenders doesn’t necessarily work in OKC’s favor. They have ultra talented guard defenders in Alex Caruso, Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace, but Murray can go scorched earth on near-anyone.

Most simply, Denver’s edge over OKC could be the time-honored question: does good offense beat good defense? Luckily, OKC has both, despite some shakier offensive performances on the road in the first round.

The Clippers are certainly no pushovers, either, having a star trio in guard James Harden, forward Kawhi Leonard and center Ivica Zubac. But Oklahoma City’s defensive style lends itself much more to aged LA than rhythmic Denver.