The Oklahoma City Thunder have arguably been the best team in the NBA in all segments this season. After ending the regular season with a league-best 64-18 record, the Thunder have remained perfect in the playoffs, posting an 8-0 record after completing the sweep against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
While this feat sees OKC assert itself as one of the favorites to win it all this season, it is worth noting that their victory in Game 4 over the Lakers helped them achieve something truly noteworthy.
The Lakers were the last team from California in the postseason. By beating them in four consecutive games, the Thunder ended a perfect 18-0 record against the teams from California.
This is remarkable in every sense. There are currently four California-based teams in the NBA, namely: the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Golden State Warriors, and the Sacramento Kings.
Against the Lakers, barring their 4-0 record in this year’s playoffs, the Thunder also recorded a convincing sweep during the regular season.
In the first game, OKC logged a dominant 121-92 victory, which was followed by a marginally more competitive 119-110 victory in the second. Although this hinted at L.A.’s improvement as a competitor in upcoming games, injuries and execution errors saw the Lakers suffer blowout losses in the third (139-96) and fourth (123-87).
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 27.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game against the Lakers, L.A.’s struggle isn’t as surprising.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, this trend carried over into the playoffs, as a shorthanded roster proved no match for the Thunder’s might. Although the team succeeded in restricting Gilgeous-Alexander for most of the series, players such as Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren completely overpowered them.
For all intents and purposes, OKC was in complete control of the second half of each playoff matchup against L.A. Still, a hard-fought display in Game 4 (115-110) almost saw them snap OKC’s perfect record.
It can be argued that the Lakers got the tough end of the bargain against the Thunder. Unlike them, the other teams weren’t blown out in such extraordinary fashion. However, they lost all the same.
The Warriors, like the Purple and Gold, faced OKC four times in the regular season. In the first matchup, Golden State was demolished after a 126-102 showing. In the second, despite fielding a severely shorthanded lineup, the Warriors put up a better fight, losing by only 12 points (124-112).
At this stage, it seemed as if the Warriors were closer to figuring things out. Unfortunately, their lack of personnel and OKC’s overall roster depth ensured that the Thunder would remain dominant.
In the third game, the Thunder showed no mercy, handing the Warriors a crushing 131-94 defeat. Surprisingly, however, Oklahoma went on to lose its next game to the Suns after beating the Dubs, signaling the beginning of their tough run in January.
The final matchup against Golden State was undoubtedly the most noteworthy. Although the Warriors were still fielding a weakened roster, they put up a tremendous fight, with players like Gui Santos (22 PTS, 11 REB) and Draymond Green (16 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST) leading the charge. Still, it wasn’t enough, as the Thunder emerged victorious after a 104-97 result.
The Clippers and the Kings both faced the Thunder only three times during the regular season.
Between the two L.A. teams, it can be argued that the Clippers were marginally more competitive. Despite ranking lower than their hometown rivals, the Clippers’ biggest margin of defeat was 21 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated in the first meeting, posting a 30-point performance to secure a 126-107 lead. He stepped up to the plate again in the second game, leading OKC in multiple categories with 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists to close out a 122-101 win.
By the third game, the Thunder had already cemented their position as the top team in the West, but this did not slow them down. With Chet Holmgren posting a double-double of 30 points and 14 rebounds, OKC emerged victorious after a 128-110 result and completed the sweep against the Clippers.
Sacramento’s schedule against the Thunder ended in November itself, ensuring that they wouldn’t see them again for the remainder of the season. In three games, however, OKC ensured that the Kings wouldn’t dream of beating them.
The Thunder faced Sacramento at home on opening night. With the Kings looking to set the tone for the season, they put up a good fight. Unfortunately, a 31-point outing by Gilgeous-Alexander ensured a 107-101 victory for OKC.
Although the results of Game 1 were promising, the same cannot be said for the next two outings.
The second game was a blowout in every sense, as a monster double-double of 33 points and 19 rebounds by Isaiah Hartenstein saw OKC come out on top after a 132-101 win. Similarly, in their final meeting, Gilgeous-Alexander quietly helped the Thunder secure a 113-99 victory with a 33-point performance.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s success against teams from California is hard to explain, but it is quite impressive.
When expanding the parameters to the Pacific Division as a whole, it is worth noting that the Thunder only recorded two losses to the Phoenix Suns in the regular season (3-2). Still, with a 25-2 record against the entire Pacific Division this season, the Thunder were truly dominant.
