The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the 2024-25 NBA regular season as the top-ranked defense (106.6 rating), and they’ve carried that identity into the 2025 playoffs. Their 100.2 defensive rating is the best mark in the postseason by a fairly wide margin, as they’re more than five full points ahead of Boston’s 105.8 figure.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one of two Kia MVP finalists in this incredible series, led the league in scoring with a career-high 32.7 ppg, but he provides much more than that for Mark Daigneault and his coaching staff. SGA’s frame (6-foot-6, 195 pounds), basketball IQ and quickness allow him to spearhead a deadly defensive unit that has made life difficult for Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets.

Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams, OKC’s starting two-guard and small forward, respectively, bring speed, strength and versatility with quick, strong hands that always seem to be in passing lanes. When they check out, the intensity never drops off, thanks to a group of athletic guards and wings led by Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe.

In the frontcourt, Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren have been tremendous as the backbone of Oklahoma City’s defensive structure, whether in zone or man-to-man coverage. This big-man tandem was designed to show Jokić a revolving door of physicality and tight coverage, with Hartenstein’s hulking presence (7-foot, 250 pounds) and Holmgren’s length and defensive IQ representing a difficult challenge for the Nuggets to solve.

And don’t forget about reserve Jaylin Williams, who has played the enforcer role off the bench in this series. The main assignment for the 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward-center has been to bang bodies with Denver’s MVP finalist while spelling Hartenstein and Holmgren.

When you mix all of those pieces together with Daigneault’s aggressive approach on defense, the results speak for themselves. We already mentioned the Thunder’s top-ranked defense in the playoffs, but they’re also first in defensive rebounds (34.4), steals (10.4), opponent’s points off turnovers (10.4) and fastbreak points (9.1), and second in blocks (6.8) and opponent’s points in the paint (38.3).

We’ve covered the players and what they bring to the table, but let’s focus on the scheme now. When OKC is in man coverage, they’re fast enough on their feet and in rotations to send double-teams to Jokić on nearly every possession. If they run zone (typically a 2-3 zone), something they’ve done with regularity in the Conference semifinals, the Thunder clog up the middle of the floor and suffocate the Nuggets, forcing them into perimeter shots and looks they don’t necessarily want.

Denver was last in the league in 3-point attempts per game during the regular season (31.9), but that number has jumped to 38.5 3PA in the four contests against OKC. In their first-round series versus the LA Clippers, the Nuggets fired up an average of just 29.0 3PA across seven games.

The Thunder are also limiting Denver’s assists (19.5 apg) while forcing 17.3 turnovers a night. Those numbers look much different compared to the Nuggets’ stats in the first round — 24.6 apg and 13.9 turnovers. If you search a little deeper as to why, give credit to OKC’s coaches and players drawing up a game plan to help slow down one of — if not the — best players in the world.

Over his last three outings, Jokić has compiled 15 assists to 16 turnovers, while shooting 33.3% from the field and 18.2% from behind the arc. He’s averaging 26.5 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5.8 turnovers in his four games in the semis, giving the Joker a 0.91 assist-to-turnover ratio versus the Thunder. He closed the regular season with a 3.11 AST/TO. After Game 4, Jokić said, “They’re shrinking the floor on me”, a response to his 2025 playoff-low three assists in the 92-87 defeat.

Oklahoma City has seemingly found a formula to defend Denver’s offensive centerpiece. If they can continue to make everything difficult for the Nuggets, SGA and the Thunder will have a great opportunity at a 3-2 series lead in Game 5 tonight ().