January 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; The leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2), scores an incredibly difficult shot against the leader of the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown (7), during a breathtaking final at the Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
After a few difficult rebuilding seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder are being talked about again in the national media.
In a recent podcast, sports analyst Esfandiar Baraheni claimed that OKC is a “shoo-in” for the NBA Finals, a sentiment shared by David Dennis Jr.an editor-in-chief of Andscape, during an intervention on ESPN.
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“SGA has just shared eight quarters of action with Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunsonas well as Jayson Tatum et Jaylen Brownand he stood out as the best player,” Dennis Jr. said on the show NBA Today on ESPN. “The Thunder completely neutralized this Boston Celtics team. (Boston) only managed eight baskets in the second half, with 10 turnovers. This defensive power, coupled with the presence of the best player on the field, is a hallmark of a champion-caliber team. Considering the level of athleticism we’ve witnessed, this team looks as formidable as anyone right now. »
The praise comes after the Thunder’s thrilling victory over the Celtics, which gave them a record 15-game winning streak in franchise history. Just before their triumph against the reigning champions, the coach’s team Mark Daigneault ended the impressive streak of nine victories of the New York Knicksshowing resilience after being down at half-time.
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Analysts have called the Thunder-Celtics matchup a “potential NBA Finals preview” even though Boston doesn’t hold first place in the Eastern Conference.
Coach Celtics Joe Mazzulla are found just behind the Cleveland Cavalierswho lead the league with an impressive 31-4 record this season. Looking ahead, Wednesday night promises to be another possible “Finals Preview” as the Cavaliers prepare to host the Thunder in a highly anticipated showdown between the league’s two best teams.
Even if the Thunder manage to reach the NBA Finals, the team will experience some changes when Alex Caruso et Chet Holmgren will return to the lineup.
