**Tip-off:** 7:30pm @ Ball Arena, Denver | **Broadcast:** ESPN
### _⚡_Aiming for the crown
First round sweeps: easy. The rest of the championship journey: not so much. The Thunder finally took firm control of this series with Game 5's win, and now have two chances to finish off Denver: tonight on the road or, if necessary, Saturday at home. Game 2 notwithstanding, the Nuggets have not folded, and OKC doesn't count on them going out quietly. The Thunder haven't reached the conference finals in almost a decade. Beating _this_ team in this fashion to get there, with several championship-experienced players and an all-time postseason great in Nikola Jokic, would be the kind of experience that transforms an inexperienced, youthful team into a savvy, battle-tested one.
### _⚡_M-V-P, M-V-P
The MVP winner (Shai) has yet to be announced, and the runner-up (Nikola Jokic) has been trading blows with SGA in this heavyweight series. The MVP is decided, and the league is probably being too cute in the announcement strategy. But what isn't settled: how great Jokic is all-time, and how SGA lines up against the greats of his own era. I expect greatness from both, especially now that we're in elimination territory and both team leaders have figured out what their opponent can and will throw at them to try and contain their greatness.
OKC has to win one of the next two games before anything else in the playoffs field matters. But we now know that, should OKC advance, Minnesota will be waiting for them in the Finals. And as the Thunder's depth and energy have become an obvious edge over the beleaguered Nuggets, _not_ closing out the series ASAP is suddenly a competitive liability, since the younger and more rested (by at least one day) Wolves are next up.
Prediction: OKC 130 DEN 99
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This prediction betrays the fact that I am actually, very impressed with Denver. They have made the Thunder earn _everything_ and played like champions, not underdogs. But OKC is better, and in my estimation, capable of landing the knockout punch tonight.