How Oklahoma City Can Make the NBA Finals a Five-Game Series Or Less

The Oklahoma City Thunder's postseason run has been nothing short of an impressive feat.

Running through the Memphis Grizzlies in four games, albeit with Ja Morant absent for one-and-a-half games, followed by a seven-game slug fest against the Denver Nuggets and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic before throttling the Anthony Edwards-led Minnesota Timberwolves in five games—Oklahoma City has garnered a surplus of experience throughout this, and it will bode well in this upcoming series and in the years to come.

Its opponent, the Indiana Pacers, also had to go through some tough opponents on their way to the biggest stage in NBA basketball.

Cleaning up the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo in five games led to taking on the East-leading team in the regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team who was regarded as a potential Finals contender. Indiana shut that down though, beating the Cavaliers convincingly in five games.

And in the team's last series against the New York Knicks, a team led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Pacers were pushed to just six games as the Knicks could not stack up how they needed to Indiana's fast-pace offense and swarming defense.

In a sense, Oklahoma City and Indiana are two sides of the same coin in this year's Finals.

Two small-market teams, wildly enough to both make the Finals, primarily organically built—high-octane, fast-paced offenses who thrive on their defensive ability and disruption with a central ball-handler leading the ship, these two squads have a lot in common.

And this means for Oklahoma City that it will have to be polished, sharpened, honed in at its own game. The Thunder will need to put out its best product of the postseason on its home floor and in enemy territory—and with the talent and focus the team seems to hold, that could potentially put Indiana in a situation where the Thunder can put its foot on their neck.

When Oklahoma City finds its rhythm and confidence on a given night, it can get out of hand quick. And looking at each roster, stacking each man up against one another, the Thunder has the visual edge—as it's a reason Oklahoma City is a heavy favorite to bring its first NBA title back to the city.

With the Thunder's roster makeup, focus and replicable game plan, Oklahoma City has an opportunity to make this a relatively short series if it can own what it does on a regular basis.