The No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder were stunned by the Denver Nuggets in Game 1. Nikola Jokic and Co. rallied a late 14-point comeback to snatch the series opener from OKC’s grasp, 121-119. Aaron Gordon was the unlikely hero of the night as he drilled a decisive three-pointer with just four seconds remaining on the clock. Despite the setback, OKC and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were rather relaxed about the disappointing defeat. By the looks of it, they had a lot of confidence heading into Game 2. Well, why shouldn’t they be? They are coming off a franchise-best 68-win regular season. While they remain optimistic, there might be a bump or two along the way ahead of round two.

There are a few question marks over OKC’s key players, such as Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, who have missed a few games due to injury. Williams has already suffered a hip injury in March that was supposed to be a short-term injury, but caused him to miss several games. However, he did make a strong comeback and has played each of his team’s postseason games. So, is Jalen Williams all set to suit up tonight? Well, there’s good news for Thunder fans. The 24-year-old forward is not on OKC’s injury report, indicating he’s all set to play tonight. This is massive news for the team, as Williams has been arguably OKC’s second-best player this season behind SGA.

The All-Star forward has carried his regular season form into the playoffs, averaging 21.8 points along with 5.6 rebounds and five assists per game. Having Jalen Williams on the floor will be massive for the Thunder, who are in a precarious position at the moment. Meanwhile, OKC’s other young star, Chet Holmgren, has had his fair share of trouble this season. Thunder’s 7-foot-1 big man missed 39 straight games this season after suffering a devastating right iliac wing fracture earlier this season. When he returned this February, everyone was pretty optimistic, only for him to sprain his ankle and sit on the sidelines again.

Nonetheless, former Gonzaga Bulldogs star has managed to return to full fitness since then. That means Chet Holmgren is also set to suit up tonight for Game 2 against the Nuggets. That’s huge for OKC as well as the 23-year-old forward! Because people feel that it was his two missed free throws in the dying minutes of the opening game that cost the Thunder the matchup. Indeed, if Holmgren, who has a 78 percent career free-throw percentage, made those, OKC might’ve nicked the game. However, it wasn’t to be. So, he’ll have redemption to achieve tonight.

While the Thunder will have both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren at their helm, they won’t be at their full strength. That’s because OKC will remain without their guard, Nikola Topic. The 19-year-old has successfully undergone surgery on his knee and is out for the rest of the season. However, the good news is that he’s made progress and was spotted taking part in light shooting drills on the court. As Topic recovers from his injury, Mark Daigneault will have a lot to think about as he gears up his team for what feels like a must-win Game 2 at the Paycom Center. So, how will he field his starting five?

OKC Thunder’s predicted starting five for Game 2 vs. the Nuggets

Mark Daigneault will take a sigh of relief knowing that he has almost every player available for this clash. The Thunder cannot afford to lose another game in their own backyard and head to Denver with a 0-2 deficit. So, this adds another layer of pressure onto this game for OKC. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. know how to handle the pressure. This means Daigneault will most likely go with his tried and trusted lineup featuring the likes of SGA, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and more.

So, here’s how the Thunder could start the game tonight:

Overall, after being stunned in Game 1, this has somewhat become a must-win game for the Thunder. While they did fumble a solid lead in the first matchup, SGA stated that the team will work on their mistakes for Game 2. Have they worked on them or not? Only time will tell. On the other hand, apart from Nikola Jokic, the rest of the Nuggets team were not that good, but still they managed to get the dub.

So, they’ll also have to level up their game to secure a firm 2-0 lead to take back to Denver. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top tonight as we eagerly await tip-off.