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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dominant: The Thunder are putting together numbers never seen before on their way to the NBA Finals
The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting. It was a blowout. Those have been the story of the Thunder season. There hasn't been a team in NBA history with at least 12 wins by 30 points or more in a season — or with four such wins in a single postseason — until now. The Thunder are putting together one of the most dominant years in league history in terms of outscoring opponents. The most recent entry on that list: a 124-94 romp over Minnesota to clinch the Western Conference title, a score that probably could have been a lot worse if the Thunder were so inclined. Advertisement 'This isn't our goal," Thunder guard, NBA MVP and West finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'We didn't start the season like we want to win the West. We want to win the NBA championship. Now we are a step closer to our goal and we're happy about that. But it's still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win and we have to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal.' A look inside the numbers paints a picture of how dominant this season has been for the Thunder: They're winning by 12.5 points per game The biggest point differential per game in NBA history, including playoffs, was posted by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks — who outscored teams by 12.6 points per game. Advertisement The Thunder are winning by 12.5 per game when counting the regular season and the playoffs (the NBA Cup championship game, by league rule, doesn't figure into any official stats that are kept). That's the second-biggest rate in league history, for now. They have beaten 28 of the 29 other NBA teams by double figures at least once this season. The only team to avoid that fate against the Thunder was Golden State, which actually outscored Oklahoma City by an average of 4.7 points per game in their head-to-head matchups. 'They embody everything it means to be a team," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "And so, they deserve this. They deserve the opportunity that we have now. I couldn't be happier for them because they invest so much in their own games, but they also invest so much in each other and in the team. And I just think it's a really uncommon thing in professional basketball that they've built.' Advertisement The 30-point wins There have been 13 games this season involving the Thunder that were decided by 30 points or more. They won 12 of them. Minnesota absolutely throttled the Thunder in Game 3 of the West finals, winning by 42 points. It was a rare blip for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have had a win by at least 30 points in every series — a 51-point win over Memphis in Round 1, wins by 43 and 32 points over Denver in Round 2, and now the 30-pointer that eliminated Minnesota in Round 3. Oklahoma City's eight 30-point wins in the regular season came against teams that all missed the playoffs; Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah. But to do it four times in the playoffs speaks to the ability the Thunder have to simply run away from quality opposition. Advertisement 'They're a really good team,' Minnesota star Anthony Edwards said. 'Everyone here knows it. It's no surprise to nobody here that this team is pretty good.' 80 wins Oklahoma City is now at 80 wins this season, including playoffs. It's the 15th time in NBA history that a team has won 80 in a season. If the Thunder win the NBA title, they'll finish with 84 wins — a total that only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) have reached. 'Happy for the moment, but this isn't our goal," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "This isn't the end of the road. ... One more series to try to go win.' ___ AP NBA: Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
Dominant: The Thunder are putting together numbers never seen before on their way to the NBA Finals
The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting. It was a blowout. Those have been the story of the Thunder season. There hasn't been a team in NBA history with at least 12 wins by 30 points or more in a season — or with four such wins in a single postseason — until now. The Thunder are putting together one of the most dominant years in league history in terms of outscoring opponents. The most recent entry on that list: a 124-94 romp over Minnesota to clinch the Western Conference title, a score that probably could have been a lot worse if the Thunder were so inclined. 'This isn't our goal," Thunder guard, NBA MVP and West finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'We didn't start the season like we want to win the West. We want to win the NBA championship. Now we are a step closer to our goal and we're happy about that. But it's still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win and we have to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal.' A look inside the numbers paints a picture of how dominant this season has been for the Thunder: The biggest point differential per game in NBA history, including playoffs, was posted by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks — who outscored teams by 12.6 points per game. The Thunder are winning by 12.5 per game when counting the regular season and the playoffs (the NBA Cup championship game, by league rule, doesn't figure into any official stats that are kept). That's the second-biggest rate in league history, for now. They have beaten 28 of the 29 other NBA teams by double figures at least once this season. The only team to avoid that fate against the Thunder was Golden State, which actually outscored Oklahoma City by an average of 4.7 points per game in their head-to-head matchups. 'They embody everything it means to be a team," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "And so, they deserve this. They deserve the opportunity that we have now. I couldn't be happier for them because they invest so much in their own games, but they also invest so much in each other and in the team. And I just think it's a really uncommon thing in professional basketball that they've built.' There have been 13 games this season involving the Thunder that were decided by 30 points or more. They won 12 of them. Minnesota absolutely throttled the Thunder in Game 3 of the West finals, winning by 42 points. It was a rare blip for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have had a win by at least 30 points in every series — a 51-point win over Memphis in Round 1, wins by 43 and 32 points over Denver in Round 2, and now the 30-pointer that eliminated Minnesota in Round 3. Oklahoma City's eight 30-point wins in the regular season came against teams that all missed the playoffs; Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah. But to do it four times in the playoffs speaks to the ability the Thunder have to simply run away from quality opposition. 'They're a really good team,' Minnesota star Anthony Edwards said. 'Everyone here knows it. It's no surprise to nobody here that this team is pretty good.' Oklahoma City is now at 80 wins this season, including playoffs. It's the 15th time in NBA history that a team has won 80 in a season. If the Thunder win the NBA title, they'll finish with 84 wins — a total that only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) have reached.
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
The Thunder are dominating like never seen before en route to the NBA Finals
The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting: It was yet another blowout. Those have been the story of the Thunder season. There hasn't been a team in NBA history with at least 12 wins by 30 points or more in a season — or with four such wins in a single postseason — until now. The Thunder are putting together one of the most dominant years in league history in terms of outscoring opponents. The most recent entry on that list: a 124-94 romp over Minnesota to clinch the Western Conference title, a score that probably could have been a lot worse if the Thunder were so inclined. "This isn't our goal," Thunder guard, NBA MVP and West finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We didn't start the season like we want to win the West. We want to win the NBA championship. Now we are a step closer to our goal and we're happy about that. But it's still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win and we have to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal." A look inside the numbers paints a picture of how dominant this season has been for the Thunder: They're winning by 12.5 points per game The biggest point differential per game in NBA history, including playoffs, was posted by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks — who outscored teams by 12.6 points per game. In the regular season alone, the Thunder's mark of 12.9 points per game smashed the record of 12.3 set by the 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder are winning by 12.5 per game when counting the regular season and the playoffs (the NBA Cup championship game, by league rule, doesn't figure into any official stats that are kept). Even with the dip from the regular season, 12.5 represents the second-biggest rate in league history, for now. They have beaten 28 of the 29 other NBA teams by double figures at least once this season. The only team to avoid that fate against the Thunder was Golden State, which actually outscored Oklahoma City by an average of 4.7 points per game in their head-to-head matchups. "They embody everything it means to be a team," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "And so, they deserve this. They deserve the opportunity that we have now. I couldn't be happier for them because they invest so much in their own games, but they also invest so much in each other and in the team. And I just think it's a really uncommon thing in professional basketball that they've built." The 30-point wins There have been 13 games this season involving the Thunder that were decided by 30 points or more. They won 12 of them. Minnesota absolutely throttled the Thunder in Game 3 of the West finals, winning by 42 points. It was a rare blip for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have had a win by at least 30 points in every series — a 51-point win over Memphis in Round 1, wins by 43 and 32 points over Denver in Round 2, and now the 30-pointer that eliminated Minnesota in Round 3. [Related: OKC is in the NBA Finals: How the Thunder advanced and went wrong for the Wolves] Oklahoma City's eight 30-point wins in the regular season came against teams that all missed the playoffs; Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah. But to do it four times in the playoffs speaks to the ability the Thunder have to simply run away from quality opposition. "They're a really good team," Minnesota star Anthony Edwards said. "Everyone here knows it. It's no surprise to nobody here that this team is pretty good." 80 wins Oklahoma City is now at 80 wins this season, including playoffs. It's the 15th time in NBA history that a team has won 80 in a season. If the Thunder win the NBA title, they'll finish with 84 wins — a total that only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) have reached. "Happy for the moment, but this isn't our goal," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "This isn't the end of the road. ... One more series to try to go win." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Shai Gilgeous-Alexander National Basketball Association Oklahoma City Thunder recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Dominant: The Thunder are putting together numbers never seen before on their way to the NBA Finals
The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting. It was a blowout. Those have been the story of the Thunder season. There hasn't been a team in NBA history with at least 12 wins by 30 points or more in a season — or with four such wins in a single postseason — until now. The Thunder are putting together one of the most dominant years in league history in terms of outscoring opponents. The most recent entry on that list: a 124-94 romp over Minnesota to clinch the Western Conference title, a score that probably could have been a lot worse if the Thunder were so inclined. 'This isn't our goal," Thunder guard, NBA MVP and West finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'We didn't start the season like we want to win the West. We want to win the NBA championship. Now we are a step closer to our goal and we're happy about that. But it's still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win and we have to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal.' They're winning by 12.5 points per game The biggest point differential per game in NBA history, including playoffs, was posted by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks — who outscored teams by 12.6 points per game. The Thunder are winning by 12.5 per game when counting the regular season and the playoffs (the NBA Cup championship game, by league rule, doesn't figure into any official stats that are kept). That's the second-biggest rate in league history, for now. They have beaten 28 of the 29 other NBA teams by double figures at least once this season. The only team to avoid that fate against the Thunder was Golden State, which actually outscored Oklahoma City by an average of 4.7 points per game in their head-to-head matchups. 'They embody everything it means to be a team," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "And so, they deserve this. They deserve the opportunity that we have now. I couldn't be happier for them because they invest so much in their own games, but they also invest so much in each other and in the team. And I just think it's a really uncommon thing in professional basketball that they've built.' The 30-point wins There have been 13 games this season involving the Thunder that were decided by 30 points or more. They won 12 of them. Minnesota absolutely throttled the Thunder in Game 3 of the West finals, winning by 42 points. It was a rare blip for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have had a win by at least 30 points in every series — a 51-point win over Memphis in Round 1, wins by 43 and 32 points over Denver in Round 2, and now the 30-pointer that eliminated Minnesota in Round 3. Oklahoma City's eight 30-point wins in the regular season came against teams that all missed the playoffs; Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah. But to do it four times in the playoffs speaks to the ability the Thunder have to simply run away from quality opposition. 'They're a really good team,' Minnesota star Anthony Edwards said. 'Everyone here knows it. It's no surprise to nobody here that this team is pretty good.' 80 wins Oklahoma City is now at 80 wins this season, including playoffs. It's the 15th time in NBA history that a team has won 80 in a season. If the Thunder win the NBA title, they'll finish with 84 wins — a total that only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) have reached. 'Happy for the moment, but this isn't our goal," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "This isn't the end of the road. ... One more series to try to go win.' ___
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ron Harper reacts to guard's bold claim about LeBron and 2020 Lakers
Ron Harper reacts to guard's bold claim about LeBron and 2020 Lakers Los Angeles Lakers fans still think highly of the 2019-20 team that cruised through the regular season and convincingly won the NBA championship inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble. Over the last few years, many of those fans have wanted the Lakers to replicate the formula that got the job done that season and have criticized executive Rob Pelinka for dismantling the roster the team had that season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a key guard on that team, said recently that had it been kept together, it would've won two more world titles. He also said that if that had happened, LeBron James would've had six rings and "there would be no more G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) talk." Ron Harper, a former teammate of Michael Jordan, whom many still see as the G.O.A.T., as well as someone who played alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant on the Lakers, pushed back on Caldwell-Pope's talk. He took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to respond to Caldwell-Pope and try to de-legitimize L.A.'s 2020 title. Harper has previously de-legitimized the Lakers' 2023-24 NBA Cup victory, claiming that "no real fans care" about it while also saying the banner the organization put up to commemorate that win is "embarrassing." It seems Harper's loyalties lie with Jordan and perhaps Bryant. He also pushed back on the stubborn and incorrect narrative that Bryant was merely a "sidekick" to O'Neal when L.A. won three straight NBA championships with both of them in the early 2000s.
