The Whys And Wherefores Of The Stanley Cup Final
Look, Ma! No NHL Division Winners In The Conference Finals. What Went Wrong?
For the first time since 2020-21, there will be nary a regular-season division winner in the NHL's Eastern and Western Conference finals. So let's take a moment to remember the Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs.
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How Mark Daigneault, OKC Thunder are managing another lengthy break during NBA Playoffs
Here they are again, waiting a week to try their hand at fate. No one has grown more accustomed to this gnawing period between series quite like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Three times this postseason this crew has had roughly a week before its next series began. This time feels different, though. Advertisement This is not the week it spent spinning in a swivel chair, waiting for which play-in opponent it would drop into the guillotine. These aren't quite like the days spent before the date with Denver. Since then, the Thunder has been emancipated from most questions of experience through its win over the Nuggets, and validated by its five-game thrashing of the Timberwolves. This week, OKC can reflect on the hurdles that have it four wins away from an NBA title. Pre-order book on Thunder's run to NBA Finals More: Who should OKC Thunder want to play in NBA Finals? Pros and cons of facing Pacers, Knicks Thunder coach Mark Daigneault yells to players in the first quarter during Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Timberwolves at Paycom Center on May 28. 'The most exciting thing about it is less about what exactly they're doing on the court,' coach Mark Daigneault said of his star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams meeting the moment. 'It's really not much different from what they do. I mean, they're playing their game, but they're doing it on this stage, and every time you check those boxes and conquer those hurdles, so to speak, you get better and more confident or wiser if you fall short. So the experiences are what's best for all those guys.' Advertisement A year ago, this core drowned in ambition. It was the youngest No. 1 seed ever, a foul away from pushing the eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks to a seventh game. But the well of confidence did not seem so full. Not when looking at the shots Williams and Holmgren passed on. When rewatching the way the team held up in crunch time situations. Things that've flipped this postseason. The inflection points are clear. A Game 4 win in Denver. A Game 7 win over the Nuggets that put them away. The Game 3 bludgeoning that the Thunder took from the Wolves, sniffing real urgency like smelling salts. The Game 4 win in Minnesota in a bout with videogame shotmaking, when the group's resilience was tested most. It might've been the Thunder's most prolific collective performance yet from its Big Three, with each of the trio making signature plays in a fourth quarter in which the Wolves dropped 41 points. That game helped them win the war. Advertisement 'That was an electric game that was going back and forth down the stretch, people making big plays on both ends,' Holmgren said of Game 4 of the West Finals. 'And it was really important for us to be able to do that and see what we can be in those moments. This year or going forward, we're going to be in situations like that again.' MUSSATTO: Thunder home-court advantage is real. Another reason why OKC is NBA Finals favorite. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) does a pushup after getting fouled during Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Credit Alex Caruso, a veteran and former champion who has inserted himself when necessary; he was as essential as any player not named SGA in the second round, doing everything from blowing up actions to denying Nikola Jokic. Or credit Isaiah Hartenstein, the bruiser last year's team never had, who's added lineup versatility and has set a tone physically. Advertisement Most of all, credit time. It gave Holmgren and Williams the chance to grow into themselves, which at the time of writing, seems like two potentially terrifying playoff performers at the premature ages of 23 & 24. There's a balance in emotions they've wedged themselves into, being able to be mature enough for these series yet carry boyish exuberance. 'You don't want to be so wise that you're overcautious,' Daigneault said Saturday. 'You don't want to be so confident that you're overconfident. You kind of have to hold those two things, the confidence and the urgency or the wisdom. You have to hold those things in balance.' The Thunder has time to do lots of thinking before Thursday's Game 1. Perhaps this squad will think about the games that launched it here. The situations it's conquered. It's not going into this week as blind as it thinks. During this layoff, the Thunder knows what it takes. Advertisement Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at jlorenzi@ or on X/Twitter at @joelxlorenzi. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Joel's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at More: OKC Thunder might be 'idiots' but strength is their youth entering 2025 NBA Finals All times are Central Time (CT) Game 1: Indiana/New York at OKC | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5 (ABC) Game 2: Indiana/New York at OKC | 7:00 p.m. Sunday, June 8 (ABC) Game 3: OKC at Indiana/New York | 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 11 (ABC) Game 4: OKC at Indiana/New York | 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 13 (ABC) Game 5 (If necessary): Indiana/New York at OKC | 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 16 (ABC) Game 6 (If necessary): OKC at Indiana/New York | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19 (ABC) Game 7 (If necessary): Indiana/New York at OKC | 7 p.m. Sunday, June 22 (ABC) This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder again managing lengthy break in action during NBA Playoffs
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an hour ago
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Celebrate OKC Thunder's amazing season and run to NBA Finals with our commemorative book
The NBA's most valuable player — for the third time. The league's best regular-season record — for the first time. Western Conference champions and bound for the NBA Finals — for the second time. In the Oklahoma City Thunder's 17-year history, no season has proven more electric than 2024-25 — and an NBA championship could be just weeks away. Advertisement To celebrate this amazing ride — from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's brilliance to the young squad's dominance from October to June — The Oklahoman has been working on a commemorative hardcover coffee-table chronicling the season. It's called 'Thunder Up! SGA and OKC Take the NBA by Storm' and will feature exclusive photography and behind-the-scenes stories from The Oklahoman's award-winning sports team. Order our Thunder collector's book More: Thunder vs Timberwolves recap: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC dominate way to NBA Finals The Oklahoman has crafted a book about the Oklahoma City Thunder's amazing 2024-25 season. 'Thunder Up!' will capture every thunderous moment, from the 15-point victory over Denver in the season opener to dispatching Minnesota in five games to whatever unfolds in the final push to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Advertisement This 144-page, full-color premium collector's edition will preserve the magic of a season that shook the league, crafted by the men and women who covered it every day for the Loud City faithful. Order 'Thunder Up!' now for just $31.95 — a 20% discount off the $39.95 retail price, not including tax and shipping. Plus, you can receive a printable certificate for a Father's Day or graduation gift. Order at Own a piece of Thunder history today! 'Thunder Up!' is a must-have on every OKC fan's coffee table or bookshelf. Order our Thunder collector's book REQUIRED READING: Why Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' is the OKC Thunder's victory anthem at Paycom Center Advertisement Contact Gene Myers at gmyers@ Follow him on X @GeneMyers. After nearly a quarter-century as sports editor at the Detroit Free Press, Myers unretired to coordinate book and poster projects across the USA TODAY Network. Check out more books and page prints from the USA TODAY Network, including books by The Oklahoman on the Sooners' fourth consecutive NCAA softball championship and on 60 years of basketball championships at State Fair Arena and page prints of SGA winning his MVP award and Oklahoma's 2024 softball title. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Commemorate OKC Thunder's historic season with our collector's book
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2 hours ago
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2025 NBA Finals odds: Bettor wagers $1.05 million on Oklahoma City Thunder to win series over Indiana Pacers
The 2025 NBA Finals feature one of the most lopsided series in terms of the odds since 1968, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are the biggest finals favorite they've been in franchise history. One MGM bettor in Las Vegas is clearly a big believer in the Thunder as well, placing a $1.05 million wager on Wednesday night on Oklahoma City at -700 odds to beat the Indiana Pacers in the series. The bet would win $150,000. Advertisement It's the largest reported wager on the series so far at legal sportsbooks in the United States. Oddsmakers are generally rooting for the Thunder in the series, as the big price is prohibitive for too much liability to build up — and the biggest liabilities (the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, etc.) have already been eliminated. Oklahoma City has struggled against the spread in the playoffs (7-9 ATS), but the young team has come through in the postseason when it's mattered most — winning a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets and holding off the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 to go up 3-1 in the Western Conference finals. Advertisement Despite the odds, public bettors at BetMGM are backing the Pacers to win the series, with the sportsbook reporting earlier today that 94% of wagers and 85% of the total dollars wagered are on the Pacers (+500) to win the series. Game 1 is 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday on ABC. The Thunder are 9.5-point favorites, which is the second-largest Game 1 finals spread since 2001.
