If the Oklahoma City Thunder hope to repeat as the top seed, they will likely need to win tiebreakers if they are required. After all, that’s how the Thunder ultimately won the first seed on the last day of the regular season last year.
With that in mind, a critical back-to-back late in the 2024-25 season could prove vital for OKC’s ambitions of a first seed. The Thunder have 16 back-to-backs this season — tied for the most among playoff squads.
A unique set involves a home back-to-back against the Denver Nuggets. OKC will host them on Mar. 9-10. It’s its only back-to-back where it plays the same team twice in a row.
Considering how late this is into the season, there’s a strong chance that both fanbases will circle these contests on their calendar. As they get closer to the end of the season, standings will matter more.
To add to the uniqueness, the first contest will be held at 12 p.m. CT on ABC. The second will be a standard 7 p.m. CT tip. This means that both squads will get a semi-off day between games. This could benefit either or both sides depending on where the teams stand on the injury front.
Expect the Thunder and Nuggets to be two of the top teams in the Western Conference again this season. They roster MVP candidates in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
A potential playoff series could be decided by homecourt — especially considering Denver’s altitude advantage. This back-to-back could be under a microscope and have massive consequences at the end of the year.
