The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t lost a game in these playoffs. Not one. Through two full rounds against real competition, they’ve been flawless, and Jalen Williams’ injury is the only thing that could complicate what looks like a march toward a repeat.
OKC swept their way through the first round and dispatched their second-round opponent with similar efficiency. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing like the best player on earth right now, operating with the kind of controlled aggression that makes him nearly impossible to guard. Chet Holmgren, who Jared McCain reportedly knew was more than just a quick burst earlier in the season, is anchoring a defense that has given everyone fits.
The Williams injury update heading into the Western Conference Finals is more cautiously optimistic than it could be. Head coach Mark Daigneault called the situation “encouraging” in his last public comments, which suggests Williams could be available for at least some portion of the series against San Antonio. His two-way presence off the bench or as a starter would be significant, but the Thunder have shown this year they don’t need anyone to be a hero. The system carries people.
San Antonio comes in as the hottest team outside of OKC, riding Wembanyama’s dominance and Castle’s emergence. The Spurs won four of their five regular season meetings against the Thunder, which is the kind of stat that earns respect.
But the Thunder have been here before. They know what it takes to close out a championship run. San Antonio is finding out what the finals threshold feels like for the first time in nearly a decade.
OKC starts as the heavy favorite for a reason. They haven’t given anyone a reason to doubt them yet.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
