The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-103 on Thursday, May 22, to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
After finishing the regular season with an NBA-best 68-14 record, the Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, then outlasted the Denver Nuggets in a grueling seven-game series in the conference semifinals. That gives them a 78-17 record overall this season.
While it hasn’t been a dominant narrative just yet, the Thunder may be closing in on one of the greatest single seasons in NBA history.
Are the Oklahoma City Thunder on the Cusp of Becoming a Historic Team?
According to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, the Thunder may be on the verge of joining elite company.
“They’re basically going to bulldoze their way into the all-time conversation if this keeps going.”@BillSimmons puts the Oklahoma City Thunder’s potentially historic season into context. pic.twitter.com/N68YuxRM7K
— The Ringer (@ringer)
“I just don’t know if anyone can touch this team,” Simmons said. “They’re 78-17 for the season right now, and if you go historically, the Bulls were 87-13 in 1996. That is the mark. I don’t know if anyone’s beating that in our lifetimes. The Lakers in ’72 were 81-15. The ’97 Bulls were 84-17, ’17 Golden State is 84-16, and then the ’67 76ers were 79-17.”
If Oklahoma City can win out—no small feat—they could land among the best overall records in league history.
“84-17 is in play, which means they would basically force themselves into the all-time conversation,” Simmons added. “Even though we’ve been watching them going, ‘I don’t know, they’re a little young—Jalen Williams, is he a good enough second banana? I don’t know about these 3-point shooters.’ They’re basically going to bulldoze their way into the all-time conversation if this keeps going.”
First, though, the Thunder need to close out the Timberwolves and then take down the Eastern Conference champion — either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks — to get there.
Still, the questions that have followed this team all season only make their success more impressive. Jalen Williams is just 24. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is 23. Key rotation players like Aaron Wiggins (26), Isaiah Hartenstein (27), Isaiah Joe (25), and Luguentz Dort (26) are also just entering their prime.
And of course, the Thunder are led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who doesn’t turn 27 until July.
With their current core and the wealth of assets Oklahoma City has built up, this might just be the start of something special.
“The thing that scares me, not just for the playoffs but for the history stuff, is that it feels like they’re getting better,” Simmons said.
Could this be the start of the NBA’s next dynasty?
