Rick Pitino Doesn't Hold Back About Thunder After NBA Finals Berth

Newsweek

a day ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting to find out who they will play in the NBA Finals. After blowing out the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 124-94 on Wednesday night, the Thunder have punched their ticket to the championship round.
Right now, the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks stands at 3-2 in favor of the Pacers. However, the Knicks were able to keep the series alive with a blowout win over Indiana on Thursday evening.
Regardless of who wins the East, Oklahoma City has to be feeling good about the position it is in.
Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his players in the second half during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28,...
Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his players in the second half during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. More
Photo byFollowing their NBA Finals berth, St. John's head coach and college basketball legend Rick Pitino has spoken out strongly about the Thunder. He is even using them as film for his team, which is a first in his career.
Read more: Tyrese Haliburton Sends Bold Warning Before Pacers-Knicks Game 6
In a post on X, Pitino did not hold back from praising Oklahoma City, especially on the defensive end of the court.
"It's interesting, in my 40+ years I've never shown clips to my teams of NBA defense," Pitino wrote. "Offensive sets and individual moves, but never defense. Until this past season. We watched the Thunder at least 3x a week. They're switching, loading up to help, and rotations are awesome. And they are still so young!!!"
All season long, the Thunder have been dominant defensively. That defense has led to an elite offense as well.
Throw in the fact that star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA's MVP award and Oklahoma City has the makings of a championship winner. They simply need to win four more games.
Read more: Shocking Contender Named as Landing Spot for Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo
During their series against the Timberwolves, the Thunder made Minnesota look lost. They made things very difficult on Anthony Edwards, with the star shooting guard averaging just 23 points per game and shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 28.2 percent from three-point range.
With the NBA Finals set to begin on June 5, Oklahoma City is receiving much-deserved recognition. Pitino's praise is just one of many big names to talk about how special the Thunder have been and how dominant they have been playing.
Both the Pacers and New York are quality teams, but if Oklahoma City keeps playing the way it has, neither team can match up.
For more Oklahoma City Thunder and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.