The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the verge of completing a historic season and securing the franchise’s first title since adopting their current name and moving to their current home. However, their performance in the NBA Finals has been disappointing.
Entering the series as overwhelming favorites, they’ve lost three games to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers, drawing frustration from fans and media alike. One analyst went so far as to compare them to the NFL’s version of a team running on a treadmill, the Baltimore Ravens.
Can the Oklahoma City Thunder Shed the Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens Tag?
Since Lamar Jackson took over as the Ravens’ quarterback, the franchise has come close but has yet to secure its next Super Bowl victory. Thanks to consistent playoff no-shows, their best year remains marked by a loss in the AFC Championship Game.
For Colin Cowherd, the 2024-25 Thunder are the same team, for one key reason. During the latest episode of “The Herd” on FS1, the host explained his rationale, saying, “Baltimore’s got Lamar, they got SGA [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander].”
The comparison highlighted the differences between their home and away performances.
“At home, does anybody get more blowout wins in the last couple of years than Baltimore and OKC? No. But, if they’re playing from behind, the Ravens and the Thunder, sometimes that offense dries up.”
This assessment came on the back of a brutal Game 6 showing from Oklahoma City against the Pacers. After starting the game 10-2, the Thunder were down as badly as 70-42 early in the third quarter. From there, the result was a mere formality.
But the splits in home and away games for OKC are startling. During these playoffs, they’ve lost just twice at home, compared to a 5-5 record on the road. Apparently, the juggernaut version of the team is available only in Oklahoma.
A net rating of +24.7 at home during the playoffs speaks to absolute dominance. However, the same team, when playing in their opponent’s building, has a net rating of -6.2.
Over the last two years, Baltimore has been in the same boat. As Jackson won or finished as the runner-up in the MVP column, Baltimore saw its season come to an end at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs or the Buffalo Bills.
For the Thunder, it was the Dallas Mavericks in the Second Round last year. If Indiana can shock the world one last time, then it would be the Pacers in 2025.
