Nuggets Dominate As Pacers Falter (Season 6 NBA 2K25)

Simon Carver

All right, what’s up everyone—this is the 2k Bros Podcast. It’s Simon here with Jimbo, and man, we’ve seen some runs before, but Phillip’s Denver Nuggets just wrapped up a season for the ages. 13-1 regular season, that’s not just luck or a couple of hot quarters. We’re talking a +13.1 point differential and shutting teams down to 55.7 a night—those are numbers you hang in your digital rafters.

Jimbo

Seriously, Simon, the numbers don’t lie. And the crazy part? The Nuggets didn’t let up one bit in the playoffs—actually, they ramped it up! 9-0 postseason, 77 points per game, and hitting threes at over 41 percent. It’s like every round just made em’ sharper.

Simon Carver

You know, it actually reminds me a little of this tape contest I entered as a kid. I started strong, but every round the nerves built up—like, not wanting to break the run becomes its own kind of pressure. I always wonder in 2K—when you’re on a win streak like that, does it tighten you up, or make you even more dangerous? Like, Jimbo, in your experience, does having that perfect record make you overthink stuff, or do you just ride the wave?

Jimbo

Dude, it can totally mess with you. There’s that voice in the back of your head, right? Like, “Don’t screw it up now.” But with Phillip’s Nuggets, it looked like it gave them this swagger. Honestly, the way they blitzed through the season, you could see the opponents tightening up more than the Nuggets did. And you nailed it—when the defense is stringing together stops and the shots keep falling, I mean, you almost feel invincible in 2K.

Simon Carver

And it’s worth mentioning, that playoff jump—77 per game, with more pace and better shooting—usually, you see teams shrink against playoff defense. But this squad hit another level. I mean, regular season they’re tough, but by the playoffs? Straight up ruthless. That kind of switch usually says something about your key guys—which is, uh, perfect for what we gotta get into next.

Jimbo

Yeah, let’s talk about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander first because man, Finals MVP felt inevitable. He goes from 15.8 in the regular season to almost 17 a game in the playoffs, throws in steals, and that plus-minus? He’s everywhere, Simon. Did you see Game 1 in the Finals? Drops 29, seven rebounds, eight assists, three steals... that’s just being the engine for real.

Simon Carver

Yeah, Shai just kept finding ways to keep Denver glued together. Every big run, he’s orchestrating. But I think Paul George is the real wild card here, honestly. He puts up a pretty mellow regular season—what was it, 6.5 a night? Not the headline generator, but then the lights come on in the playoffs, and suddenly he’s at 10.6 a game and leading the team in plus-minus. That 25-point blast in Game 3? That was the knockout punch.

Jimbo

I mean—think about that! Five threes in the clincher, too. That’s a dude knowing exactly when to step into the spotlight. And man, I wanna give props to Bridges! Steady hands, super efficient—gets up to nine points and is cashing in at almost 60 percent from the floor in that final run. That’s the role player upgrade you dream about come playoffs.

Simon Carver

Oh, and absolutely—Bridges, he was cleaning up the scraps and hitting the key buckets. But if we’re talking about the bones of the Nuggets, the, uh, blue-collar part, Jalen Duren’s gotta get that mention. Eight boards a game and a +14 in Game 3? It’s the kind of box score most folks overlook, but that’s your insurance policy against any run. Game swings, he’s there grabbing something to stem the tide.

Jimbo

It’s funny, because these are the types of playoff arcs we keep circling back to on the show: your stars have to star, but if those supporting guys level up at the right moment, you get a nearly unbeatable team. And it felt, Simon, like the Nuggets guys just all understood their jobs and peaked at the right time. Total harmony, basically.

Simon Carver

Exactly. None of that works without trust and timing—stuff you can’t measure til it happens. And just, not for nothing, Phillip now ties up the championship race at three a piece with Joe. That sets the table for more fireworks down the line.

Jimbo

Yeah, but—now we gotta dig into the Pacers because honestly, Joe’s squad just hit a wall. 8-6 in the regular season, that’s fine, but barely scraping over .500, and only 0.7 up in point differential? From the jump, you could tell the offense wasn’t… well, it just never clicked, right?

Simon Carver

Yeah, they averaged just a hair over fifty per game, and then the wheels fell off in the playoffs—down to 46 points. That’s not just a cold night, that’s a team-wide freeze. Kawhi tried to hold it together—upped his playoff scoring, but his efficiency dropped under 37 percent. Myles Turner was grabbing boards, sure, and he fought like crazy, but none of it could patch up the lack of shooting.

Jimbo

The numbers, man. Less than 39 percent from the field and barely above 21 percent from deep in the postseason. That tells the whole story—no offensive rhythm, and no spark off the bench. Not to mention Porzingis and Clowney’s drop-off hurt ‘em way more than I expected.

Simon Carver

Watching the Pacers struggle, it felt so much like those nights where you just can't solve the puzzle. But in 2K, are there lineup tweaks or sets you’d try if your main scorers freeze up? I mean, does Joe have any path out, or was this just one of those “the shots didn’t fall” situations?

Jimbo

It’s tough—sometimes you just ride the storm and hope regression hits, but honestly, Simon, rotations or small-ball looks, maybe running more pick-and-pop with Turner or unlocking Kawhi as a secondary playmaker, that might have opened something up. But if nothing’s falling and bench guys go cold, well, sometimes it’s just not your series—especially in a quick playoff format like this. Maybe more lineup chaos, more shooters out there? Hard to say for sure, but the offense needed a real shakeup.

Simon Carver

Yeah, credit to the Pacers for holding it together defensively, but when it goes cold, it really goes cold. We’ve seen teams bounce back, though, so the rivalry’s nowhere near done. All right, folks, that’s all for us this week—Nuggets take the crown, Joes Pacers left plotting. Jimbo, always fun breaking this stuff down with you.

Jimbo

You too, Simon—always a good time, even if it’s a tough one for the Pacers. See you all next time. Phillip will head to Atlanta, and Joe Heads to Phoenix. Bring your Jolly Time and Big Red for Season 7! Later man!

Simon Carver

Take care, everybody. We’ll be back soon—don’t miss it!