The second-round series features the battle of the MVP finalists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic are the best players on their respective teams and have jockeyed for the prestigious award all season. Russell Westbrook's playoff return to OKC is also a juicy secondary storyline.

After a lengthy break, the OKC Thunder returns to playoff basketball Monday with Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets.

The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are squaring off with the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The matchup pits the two leading MVP candidates, OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver's Nikola Jokić,