Nuggets vs Thunder NBA Game 6 Pick: Can Denver Avoid Elimination? (May 15)

• The Denver Nuggets wasted a herculean effort from their big man and are now one loss away from elimination.
• Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder look to close out another playoff series on the road.
• These squads last played on May 13, with OKC claiming a seven-point victory.

The lone game on Thursday’s NBA slate features the Denver Nuggets hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of a second-round Western Conference playoff series. Will Denver extend its season in our Nuggets vs Thunder Game 6 pick?

Nuggets-Thunder Game 5 Recap

All looked well for the Nuggets after taking a 2-1 lead in the series. Since that Game 3 overtime victory, though, Denver has dropped the last two contests, including a 112-105 loss on Tuesday night.

Following a three-game stretch in which he shot 33 percent from the field, Nikola Jokic put together a masterful performance in Game 4. He scored 44 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and handed out five assists.

The three-time league MVP shot 17-for-25 overall and 5-for7 from beyond the arc. Simply put, he did a bit of everything for the road team.

Jamal Murray added 28 points and four assists. Unfortunately, he and several other Nuggets players were ineffective from long range. Murray was 3-for-13. Michael Porter Jr. missed all five of his attempts.

Aaron Gordon was 1-of-5 and Christian Braun finished 2-for-8. And as a collective whole, Denver shot 28.3 percent from 3-point range. Simply put, such a lackluster output will not win you a lot of close games.

On the other side of the matchup, OKC’s offense placed all five starters in double figures. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points, six rebounds, and seven assists.

Jalen Williams finished with 18 points, nine boards, and four dimes. Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 15 points and seven rebounds, coverting seven of his 10 shot attempts.

The Nuggets led by eight points (86-78) heading into the final frame, but the game’s outcome was very much in doubt. Jokic knocked down a 3-pointer, tying the game at 103.

Denver ran out of gas down the stretch, as the Thunder closed the game out with a 9-2 run, a stretch that included back-to-back three-point baskets from SGA and Williams.

Nuggets vs Thunder Game 6 Pick: Does Denver Stay Alive Or Does OKC Advance?

After dropping consecutive games, the Nuggets enter this matchup as a 4.5-point underdog, according to BetOnline. Looking ahead to Game 6, here are some notable trends for both sides.

• The Nuggets are 3-6 straight-up (SU) in their last nine games against teams in the Northwest Division.
• Denver has covered the spread four times in its previous five home contests.
• The Thunder are 11-2 overall in their last 13 outings.
• Oklahoma City is 1-4 against the spread in its previous five matchups against Western Conference opponents.

While the teams have been evenly matched for the most part, it cannot be overlooked that the Thunder have taken over in clutch time in each of the last two games.

Given that tidbit, I like OKC’s chances of closing the series out when these teams clash on Thursday night.