Connecting OKC Thunder's Four Playoff Blowouts

The Oklahoma City Thunder did not waste any time after a nail-biting Western Conference Finals Game 4 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Wednesday night, it held Minnesota to nine first-quarter points and 32 first-half points, advancing to the NBA Finals in lopsided fashion.

The Game 5 clincher was the Thunder's fourth 30-point win of the 2025 playoffs, setting an NBA record. The 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers, 1995-96 Utah Jazz and 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers each won three such postseason games, with two teams (Cleveland and Los Angeles) securing the championship.

Oklahoma City won eight 30-point games in the regular season, all against non-playoff teams. It beat the Toronto Raptors 129-92 on Dec. 5, 2024, the largest victory through 82 games. The Thunder then blew that contest out of the water by demolishing the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies, 131-80, in Game 1 of the first round on April 20.

The Thunder showcased its greatest and most consistent strength in all four blowouts. Oklahoma City's disruptive defensive personnel racked up 12 steals, forced 24 turnovers and scored 24 points off turnovers in the series-opening Grizzlies win. It recorded 12 steals, forced 21 turnovers and scored 34 points off turnovers against the Denver Nuggets in the following round's Game 2 — a 149-106 thumping.

A do-or-die Game 7 against Denver? Five players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (3), Alex Caruso (3), Cason Wallace (2), Aaron Wiggins (2) and Luguentz Dort (2) — nabbed multiple steals. The Thunder caused 22 Nuggets turnovers and converted them into 39 points. Wednesday's Game 5 contained 14 Thunder steals, 21 Timberwolves turnovers and 18 points off turnovers.

To put it simply, Oklahoma City is at its best when dominating the possession battle — and often does.

The Thunder has demoralized opponents during the first half due to maintaining the NBA's best defensive unit and possessing quality options on the other end. Gilgeous-Alexander (12) outscored Minnesota in the first quarter three days ago. Oklahoma City turned a five-point Game 7 deficit after 12 minutes into a 14-point halftime advantage, as Jalen Williams (17 points on 8-for-11 shooting) nearly matched the Nuggets' second-quarter output (20 points on 20 shots).

Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort combined for 23 points against Denver in Game 2's first quarter, as the Nuggets managed just 21 on 7-for-20 shooting. Williams and Wiggins (21 points) outscored the Grizzlies (16 points) in Game 1's second quarter.

While the Thunder's outside shooting has been streaky throughout the playoffs, it has returned to the NBA's No. 6 regular-season percentage in more unequal battles. Oklahoma City shot 59-for-158 (37.3%) on 3-pointers across the four dominant wins — while holding opponents to 43-for-150 (28.7%) from beyond the arc.

The Thunder almost always forces lots of turnovers while committing very few. Gilgeous-Alexander almost always produces high-scoring nights. Through 16 playoff games, Oklahoma City has averaged 9.7 more paint points than it allows. The team's large margin for error means a good shooting night is any opponent's worst nightmare.

Oklahoma City hosts Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m. CST. It will play against the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks.