Nuggets at Thunder
THE STORY: The fates of Oklahoma City and Denver have been intertwined over the past week, and that trend continues Friday as the Thunder host the Nuggets in the second meeting between the teams in four days. Oklahoma City wrapped up its first division title Wednesday since moving to Seattle, leaving the Nuggets to settle for second place. The teams are also in position to meet in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ALT2, FSOK
ABOUT THE THUNDER (52-26): Jubilation was the locker-room theme Wednesday following Oklahoma City's division-clinching 112-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Franchise star Kevin Durant led the way with 29 points as the Thunder secured home-court advantage for their first-round matchup, which is yet to be determined. A loss to the rival Nuggets on Friday would end the mystery, as Denver would secure the fifth seed in the conference to set up a possible Oklahoma City-Denver first-round showdown. The Thunder are just a game back of third-place Dallas, and can still catch the Mavericks.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (48-30): Denver bounced back nicely from Tuesday's home defeat to Oklahoma City, rallying to beat the Dallas Mavericks 104-96 a night later. The Mavs are the only other team the Nuggets might face in the first round, and if Wednesday's game was any indication, that series would be a competitive one. J.R. Smith paced Denver with 23 points, including the tying and go-ahead baskets down the stretch. Following the rematch with the Thunder, the Nuggets will get to finish out the regular season with games against Minnesota, Golden State and Utah, three teams out of the post-season picture.
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Thunder PG Russell Westbrook has struggled with his shot of late, going just 21 for 66 in his last four outings. Nuggets PG Raymond Felton has just 15 assists in his last four contests.
KEY STATISTIC: 211.5 - The combined scoring averages of the two teams so far this season. With Denver ranked first (107.1) and Oklahoma City fifth (104.4), a first-round series between the teams would likely be one of the highest-scoring matchups of the postseason.
SEASON SERIES: Oklahoma City has prevailed in two of three meetings to date. The Thunder won the last encounter, as Durant poured in 32 points and added nine rebounds in a 101-94 road triumph on Tuesday.
KEY INJURIES: OKLAHOMA CITY: None. DENVER: F Chris Andersen (ankle); G Arron Afflalo (hamstring); C Timofey Mozgof (knee).
LAST WORD: “Of course the first (division title) means a lot, especially after a few seasons I’ve been through since I’ve been in this league,” Durant said following the win over the Clippers. The Seattle/Oklahoma City franchise won just 43 games in Durant's first two seasons.