The Denver Nuggets once again watched one of Nikola Jokic 's prime seasons slip away, as they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for the second straight year. After a brutal blowout loss in Game 7, it was clear the team lacked the depth and firepower needed to weather adversity when it mattered the most.

Let’s chart the biggest issues and likely next steps for the NBA teams that faced an early exit in the 2025 Playoffs.

The matchups are set for the 2025 NBA conference finals, as the Thunder will meet the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals and the Knicks will play the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Denver Nuggets are only two seasons removed from claiming the NBA title, but it feels a lot longer ago, doesn't it?

The NBA announced on Monday that Jalen Williams was fined $25,000 for wearing a shirt with profanity language on it after the Oklahoma City Thunder 's 125-93 Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets. He wore it in his postgame press conference.

When the Boston Celtics were eliminated by the New York Knicks on Friday, 2025 became the sixth straight NBA postseason in which the defending champ has failed to advance past the second round. It was the latest bullet point in the current study that is NBA parity,

Michael Malone, who was fired by the Denver Nuggets with three games remaining in the regular season, will join ESPN for its coverage of the Western Conference finals.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault knows little about Adelman, but both have had similar upbringings. Adelman has been a Denver assistant since 2017, before he was promoted. Daigneault spent similar time in OKC as the G League's OKC Blue coach and Thunder assistant before he was given the job in 2020.