OKC Thunder Stars Shine Bright in Biggest Test Thus Far

The Oklahoma City Thunder are heading to the NBA Finals, and their star trio is the driving force.

Over the past several weeks, many have coined this as the NBA’s “weak link” era, meaning that teams are only as good as their depth allows and that star power isn’t as important. While the Thunder are one of the deepest teams in the league and have lulled many into thinking they fit that criteria, this Thunder team has shown that star power is still capable of being dominant.

Throughout the first two rounds, the Thunder were still looking to show they were the 68-win team from the regular season. After securing a Game 7 blowout win against the Denver Nuggets, the Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals, and their stars were incredible against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stole the show, averaging 31.4 points and 8.2 assists to secure Western Conference Finals MVP. Jalen Williams responded to all of his recent critics with 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and two steals per game. Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren finally seems to be rounding into form after returning from his brutal injury, putting up 18 points, six rebounds and 1.6 blocks across the five games.

Combined, the Thunder’s trio averaged 71.6 points per game. Take out the 42-point blowout loss in Game 3, and the Thunder’s stars averaged 80.3 points in the four wins. The 95-point performance in Game 4 to secure a 3-1 lead was the first game in this era where the trio dominated like superstars, and it likely won’t be the last time those three make that kind of impact.

Considering how deep the Thunder are and how historically good their defense is, an 80-point outing from the big three each night makes them nearly unbeatable. Each player had their moments during this series and will soon look to have those moments again when the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks come to town next week.

The Thunder’s first trip to the Finals featured a big three of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Not only could that team not finish the job, but it was also broken up far too soon. 

This time around, the Thunder have another young trio four wins away from basketball immortality. As long as Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren can carry this momentum into Round 4, Oklahoma City will soon be home to the Larry O’Brien.