OKC Thunder Can Learn on Denver Nuggets Series in NBA Finals

Different verse, same as the first for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In the 2025 NBA Finals, they find themselves tied 2-2 headin back to the Paycom Center for Game 5 on Monday night.

This is deja vu all over again from the Thunder's second-round series against the Denver Nuggets. In both best-of-7 sets, the Bricktown Ballers shockingly dropped Game 1 in a similar giveaway fashion. After rallying to earn lopsided wins in Game 2, the Thunder stumbled on the road in Game 3 before pulling out a gutsy win away from home in Game 4 where they couldn't hit water out of a boat from beyond the arc.

Now, they have shrunk the NBA Finals to a best 3 set with two games inside the Paycom Center, the exact formula of the Nuggets second-round series. The most important game of the next three is Game 5.

The Thunder have to shift this series into its control instead of constantly playing catchup and can not enter a road enviorment with its season on the line.

Oklahoma City can lean on that Nuggets series to propel them in the NBA Finals. The Thunder saw firsthand how hard it is to win a close-out game in a hostile environment.

The Thunder must take care of business at home to give some cushion for Game 6 and ensure they have two chances to win one with the final coming inside the Paycom Center.

"Learn the lessons. Learn the lessons from the past four games. And it's the first team to two wins. Those two things, most importantly. Two wins and you get the job done. That's what I felt like I was focused on in the Denver series, and we were able to do so. Same thing for this series," Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.

The Thunder need to ocme out with desperation in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to be able to secure a win, especially on the defensive end. The Pacers have gone winless in games they are held under 111 points. Oklahoma City has to get them below that mark on Monday night.

"Just understanding that basketball is full of ups and downs and you can't get too high or too low. If I go the next game and I don't miss a shot, it really has no bearing on what I do the next game, you know what I mean? I can go out and not make a shot," Jalen Williams Said. "It's more about understanding all the that I can do to affect winning. We were shooting 8 percent from the three last game, and still figured out a way to win. There's always things that can impact winning and stuff like that."

The confidence from the Thunder is not shaken and they need to have extreme belief heading into Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers.

"I work really hard on my game. So there won't be a game where I don't shoot well and it affects my confidence to not shoot those shots my teammates need me to shoot. That's the confidence I have going into it, and wherever the shots fall, they fall," Williams added.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers have played an instant classic NBA Finals to date, with two teams vying for its first ever NBA Championship. The final three games of this set should include the most intense basketball many have ever seen. The Thunder have to be ready for it and lean on its Game 5 comeback against Denver to get the job done.