OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets Starting Lineups and Depth Charts for Oct. 24 | 2024-25 NBA Season

Looking at Thursday's NBA slate, OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets stands out as one of the biggest of the night. Featuring the top two finishers in last year's MVP race, this game highlights two of the top contenders in the Western Conference.

This will be the season opener for both teams, each with championship aspirations. Expect both the Thunder and Nuggets to come out strong as they aim for a win to kick off the season on a high note.

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OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets starting lineups and depth charts

OKC Thunder starting lineup and depth chart

With Hartenstein out of action, the Thunder won't be deploying the double-big lineup that many expected to see this season. On Thursday night, OKC's opening unit will be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

Here is a snapshot of the Thunder's depth chart as they attempt to finish atop the West for a second straight season:

Point guard	Shooting guard	Small forward	Power forward	Center
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	Alex Caruso	Lu Dort	Jalen Williams	Chet Holmgren
Cason Wallace	Isiah Joe	Aaron Wiggins	Kenrich Williams	Jaylin Williams
Adam Flagler	Ajay Mitchell		Ousmane Dieng	Alex Reese

Denver Nuggets starting lineup and depth chart

As for the Nuggets, they are expected to open the game with Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic. Here is the full breakout of Denver's depth chart to open the 2024-25 campaign.

Point guard	Shooting guard	Small forward	Power forward	Center
Jamal Murray	Christian Braun	Michael Porter Jr.	Aaron Gordon	Nikola Jokic
Russell Westbrook	Julian Strawther	Hunter Tyson	Peyton Watson	Darion Saric
Trey Alexander	Jalen Pickett		Vlatko Cancar	Zeke Nnaji
				Deandre Jordan

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OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets injury reports (Oct. 24):

OKC Thunder injury report for October 24th

The OKC Thunder will find themselves shorthanded on Thursday with multiple players on their injury report. Isiah Hartenstein is the most notable name after he fractured his hand earlier this month. Aside from him, Nikola Topic (knee), Jaylin Williams (hamstring) and Kenrich Williams (knee) have also been ruled out.

Denver Nuggets injury report for October 24th

The Nuggets also won't be at full strength for their season opener but have much fewer players on the injury report. Rookie forward DaRon Holmes is out after suffering an Achilles injury during his NBA Summer League debut.

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OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets: How to watch?

For those looking to tune into OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets, tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 pm Eastern Time. The game will air in front of a national audience on TNT.

Based on how things played out last year, OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets is a rare occasion where the opening night matchup holds weight. These squads finished tied in the regular season in 2024, both posting a 57-25 record. However, the Thunder were awarded the No. 1 seed because the tiebreaker goes to the winner of the season series.

Seeing that each team could finish near the top of the standings again, matchups like this hold a lot of weight. With the season series being so crucial, picking up that first win is essential.

One player that will be especially motivated in Thursday's game is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He'll likely want to get the one-up on Nikola Jokic on opening night after he beat him out for MVP last year.