Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Must Capitalize on Opportunity Ahead

Sometimes things just break your way, but it is still up to you to capitalize on it. That is the case for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

All year long, the Thunder have dominated the NBA to the tune of a historic 68-win season. With the best point differential in the sport, the league's MVP and the deepest roster the NBA has to offer. Oklahoma City has the recipe for a championship, the only thing standing in its way is a lack of experience.

Oklahoma City sits in a 2-2 tie with the Denver Nuggets. This shifts the series to a best-of-three with the Thunder owning home court advantage starting tonight with Game 5 in the Paycom Center.

Yes, this series has been tough and will continue to be. No, the Thunder are not guaranteed anything. But, they certainly have a great opportunity. OKC has to take care of business in this round to avoid not only their second straight Round 2 exit, but also capitalize on what has been a historically great season to date.

If the No. 1 seed in the NBA avoids a second-round exit, things have really opened up for the Oklahoma City Thunder. All that remains in the Western Conference is the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds. Out East? Seeds No. 3 and 4 project to face off in the Eastern Conference Finals.

No, Minnesota is no easy out; in fact, they match up really well with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But to win a title, you can not avoid good teams or tough matchups. All things considered, this is a golden chance for the Thunder to grab its first-ever NBA Championship.

Especially when you factor in the Thunder's health. This is the second straight postseason where –– knock on wood –– the Bricktown Ballers can toss out its best players on the floor in the biggest games. As seen through the run of Oklahoma City's history, much less the NBA, that is something you can never take for granted or count on in the future.

The challenge is difficult, it always is to win a title. Despite popular memes and criticisms from the 29 other fanbases that do not see their squad hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy, there is no such thing as a Mickey Mouse Ring. That is just an attempt to cope with losses.

Next season, the odds say the bracket will be tougher, on top of what can happen night-to-night, much less year-to-year in the NBA. There is a strong chance that the Western Conference only gets tougher after the NBA Draft Lottery gifted the Dallas Mavericks Cooper Flagg and put the San Antonio Spurs in a position to name their price to land a major star on the trade market if they so choose. A pair of non-playoff teams will automatically bolster their rosters this summer.

The same can be true for the Denver Nuggets, despite their lackluster rotation, the six guys David Adelman can toss on the floor are championship caliber. Someone's season has to end in bitter disappointment with a summer full of regret.

Oklahoma City's future remains bright regardless of the outcome in this series. Though you might look back on this postseason as the one that got away if the Thunder can't protect home court in Game 5 and survive this rough and tumble second-round bout.

As Yogi Berra would say, the future ain't what it used to be. The moment is here and now for Oklahoma City. All they have to do is go and take it, proving to be the dominating team they can be.

Song of the Day: Edge of Reality by Elvis