We Asked ChatGPT to Predict Tonight's Nuggets v. Suns Game: Here's What Went Wrong

The Nuggets and Suns will square off tonight in Denver for Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, with the series even at 2-2 after both teams won their home games.

Before the NBA clash started last month, Westword worked with our sister alt-weekly Phoenix New Times to predict what would happen, and the conclusion was that this series is definitely going to six games. Well, that prophecy is correct so far. But what can fans expect in Game 5?

Whichever team wins this matchup will have the upper hand heading into Game 6 on May 11, so we called in some outside help to get a sneak peek at what might happen tonight: ChatGPT.

We asked the artificial intelligence chatbot to "Please write a game preview for the Nuggets versus Suns Western Conference Semifinals Game 5." And it answered in the most AI way possible.

"The Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns are set to face off in Game 5 of their highly-anticipated Western Conference Semifinals matchup," reads its first paragraph. "With the series tied at two games apiece, this game promises to be a thrilling and pivotal moment in the battle for a spot in the NBA Conference Finals."

So far, so good.

The AI knows where both teams come from, and it seems to get that the game has high stakes. It doesn't note that the game will be played at Ball Arena, though.

"The Nuggets, led by MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, will be looking to bounce back from a tough Game 4 loss to the Suns," ChatGPT continues. "Jokic has been a force to be reckoned with throughout the series, averaging over 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. He'll need to continue his dominant play if the Nuggets hope to take control of the series once again."

Game 4 was a tough loss for Denver, so ChatGPT is on to something here. But it isn't being transparent about Jokic's stat line.

While the caveat of saying "over" makes the AI's statement technically true, Jokic has played much better than ChatGPT lets on. The two-time MVP is averaging 36.5 points, 14 rebounds and 9.5 assists for the series. In fact, what made Game 4 in Phoenix such a tough loss was that Jokic scored a whopping 53 points and that still wasn't enough to seal the deal.

ChatGPT goes on to completely airball the plot.

"Meanwhile, the Suns will be riding high after their impressive Game 4 victory, which saw them shoot over 50% from the field and hold off a late charge from the Nuggets," it writes. "Devin Booker and Chris Paul have been leading the charge for the Suns, with Booker averaging nearly 28 points per game and Paul dishing out over 11 assists per game."

Chris Paul hasn't played since Game 2, when he sustained a groin injury.

If that wasn't a big enough brick, ChatGPT also botches Paul's assists stats by saying he recorded eleven dimes per game. He actually notched eleven total: five in Game 1 and six in Game 2.

In fairness, ChaptGPT does note that it isn't up to date on world events since 2021. But that seems pretty outdated for a service that is supposed to be on the cutting edge of technology.

The AI doesn't even seem to know that Jamal Murray is back for Denver this post-season, or that NBA superstar Kevin Durant is now with the Suns — despite both playing essential roles in the series so far. And, as much as it hurts to write this, ChatGPT is underestimating Booker as well. He's averaging 36.3 points per game in the series.

ChatGPT doesn't offer any comment about the controversial interaction between Jokic and new Suns owner Matt Ishbia, which resulted in a $25,000 fine for Jokic and — to put a positive spin on it — will ensure Joker starts Game 5 already fired up with the help of the home crowd and legendary mascot Rocky.

ChatGPT ends its preview with a true yet boilerplate finish.

"Both teams have shown their ability to play at a high level, making this game a must-watch for any basketball fan," it summarizes. "With the series on the line, expect to see both teams leave it all on the court in what promises to be a thrilling and intense matchup."

It should indeed be "thrilling and intense" at Ball Arena tonight, and any fans who didn't want to shell out $100 for nosebleeds can catch the game on TNT starting at 8 p.m.

We just don't recommend asking ChatGPT for advice about where to watch the game or what might actually happen during it — and the AI doesn't recommend you listen to its predictions, either.

When asked, "What will be the final score of Nuggets versus Suns tonight?" the bot responds: "As an AI language model, I do not have the ability to predict the future or access information beyond my knowledge cutoff date. Therefore, I cannot provide an accurate answer to your question. It's best to watch the game and find out the final score."

Well, that's one thing that ChatGPT gets 100 percent right: Nothing beats actually watching a game between greats.