NBA League Pass Game of the Day: Thunder at Nuggets (9 ET)

Nikola Jokić and Denver face Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

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Could this be a preview of the Western Conference Finals?

After the NBA took a break on Tuesday due to the US election, the league returns to action on Wednesday. In the mix we have an exciting game. The Denver Nuggets won the NBA title two seasons ago. Oklahoma City finished last season with the best record in the Western Conference and is off to a flying start this season. Oh, and the top two in last season's MVP voting face off. Here are five things to prepare you for the Thunder-Nuggets on Wednesday.

1. The thunder rolls: No NBA team remains undefeated. Over time, every team will lose, multiple times. However, two teams remain undefeated at the start of this season. Those teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers and, yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not only are the Thunder 7-0, but they also have a staggering plus-17.4 point differential. It's the best start the Thunder have had since moving to Oklahoma City.

2. Denver needs a clear win: While the Nuggets are 4-3, they have won twice against the Nets, the Jazz and the Raptors. None of these teams are expected to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Western Conference rivals like Minnesota and, hey, Oklahoma City have beaten them. In fact, the Thunder earned a 102-87 victory in the season opener in Denver.

3. Jamal Murray could be out of action: The Nuggets haven't gotten off to as good a start as many expected, and Murray's absence is a key piece of the missing puzzle. Murray is dealing with a concussion and if he doesn't follow protocol, the Nuggets will be without him for the third straight game.

4. MVP Stock Watch: Last season, Nikola Jokić won his third MVP while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came in second. How are these two doing this season? Pretty good if you ask us. Jokić has averaged an incredible 29.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game, although some would argue that he has to do too much for his team. Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 25.7 points and over six rebounds and assists per game. SGA also averaged a block and a steal, a testament to his defensive skills that could put him over the top in an MVP race.

5. Nikola Jokić vs. Chet Holmgren: After sitting out his rookie season due to injury, Holmgren stepped up to the plate last year and delivered a campaign that would be worthy of rookie of the year honors in almost any season. Unfortunately for him, Victor Wembenyama exists. This year, Holmgren has allayed concerns about a sophomore slump and has been particularly active on defense. The Gonzaga alum grabbed 8.0 defensive rebounds per night and averaged a whopping 3.1 blocks per game. Seeing Holmgren and Jokić go at each other is definitely a duel you won't want to miss.