The Oklahoma City Thunder's brightest season in recent years has seen them swap positioning between the first, second and third seeds a seemingly countless number of times this season.
Spending the majority of that time in first or second spot, the Thunder's consistency has propped them up as one of the best teams in the league. They've yet to register three consecutive losses this year, and have showcased their ability to bounce back through arduous stretches and inevitable losses.
Through the first couple months of the season, one narrative surrounding this team was that they were surely going to regress to the means, that the curve they'd see down the stretch would be too much for a young team to remain consistent. That has been foiled outright, with Oklahoma City being of the most consistent teams in the league lingering within the top five in both defensive and offensive rating for the bulk of the season.
And with 15 games to go, they've been able to capitalize recently to strengthen their sole possession of the top seed in the Western Conference.
With a 47-20 record and a half game above the reigning NBA Champion Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, it's an all-out sprint to the finish line, and each team is taking every game they have left as serious as any.
For the Thunder, its last six outings have been vital to helping them square themselves up to where they are now. A gritty win on the road versus the Portland Trail Blazers, a 3-1 home stretch and the team's most recent victory coming on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies – Oklahoma City did exactly what it had to do after suffering two rough losses before this six-game run.
It's helped them breathe a little, and finding a few days off before Wednesday night's game versus the Utah Jazz should prove to be essential in the coming weeks. The Thunder are set to face a fairly difficult schedule to close the season, so that rest will surely come in handy on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and at home against the Dallas Mavericks in the last game of the year.
Finding the balance to push for the first seed while also mentally and physically preparing for the postseason is one that this young Thunder team certainly hasn't had to battle yet, but it's a problem they're lucky to have.
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