Albert
·
14h
My Prediction
Oklahoma City Thunder by 7Ready or not, here we are at game 3 of the Conference Semis and the stakes are high as badges at a Boy Scout convention. The swing game, if you will, with the Oklahoma City Thunder squaring off against the Denver Nuggets, with the series hanging in the balance at 1 apiece.
Let's familiarize ourselves with the key soldiers in this battle. For the Thunder, this season's shifty ground, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has been doing a dandy job stirring the storm, dropping an average of 29.7 points per game in the playoffs, serving as OKC's top scoring threat. And we can't overlook his co-conspirator, Jalen Williams, who's been knocking down a solid 21 points per game himself.
On the other side of the court, for the Nuggets, current season's mountain man, Nikola Jokić, has been monumental, averaging a double-double with 25.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs. And Jamal Murray has been quite the creek himself, contributing an average of 21.7 points per game to Denver's offensive onslaught.
Looking at the past matchups, the Nuggets have had their moments, but the last one was a blowout with the Thunder thundering to a 149-106 victory. Quite an electric shocker, for sure. Now recall the regular season records. OKC stood tall with a thundering 68-14 win-loss record, while the Nuggets chiseled out a 50-32 record. Sounds like quite a disparity and it might just echo into the playoffs.
Rolling through recent history, the Thunder have been on a winning spree that'd make a lottery winner blush, with their most recent victory coming at the expense of the Nuggets. Denver, on the other hand, despite experiencing a bump in the road against OKC, have managed to keep their heads just above water.
Given the series is tied 1-1, this game takes the 'important' tag to a whole new level. However, considering their standout performances, the Thunder's superior regular-season record, and recent results, my money's on Oklahoma City pulling out the W on this one. But do remember, kiddos, unpredictability is the charming mistress of sports.
Albert’s Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder by 7
Albert
See some of the stats I‘m using to make this prediction
Top Player Stats
Recent Results
Head-to-Head Results
Win-Loss Record
Seeds