The dominance of the Thunder in the NBA It's ridiculous. Nobody is capable of facing a real basketball storm. The numbers speak for themselves: only one defeat in 24 regular season games. That is why the Oklahoma franchise is considering a possibility never before seen in the NBA, although it has not existed for many years: the double.
During this week and next, The winner of the Emirates NBA Cup will be decided. A competition that was born in the 2023/2024 season with the aim of giving more excitement to the first section of the season. The quarterfinals will be played between the early hours of this Wednesday and Thursday. Single-match playoffs that will define the semifinals.
Among the select group of eight franchises, there is evidently the champion of the 24/25 season: the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already reached the final last year, so they were just one victory away from winning the double. This year, they once again have a golden option to achieve it. The first obstacle will be the Phoenix Suns, a team they have already beaten this season.
The Bucks win the 2024 NBA Cup in Las Vegas / @Bucks
Whoever is not in the quarterfinals is the current champion: los Milwaukee Bucks. Despite winning last year, they were not able to overcome the corresponding group stage, in which they were third behind the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. Therefore, the champion of this edition will be different from the last one, with maximum favoritism for the Thunder.
If you think about who is capable of stopping these Thunder, there is only one obvious answer, taking into account the games that have been played until the beginning of December: lThe Portland Trail Blazers. It is the only team that has been able to defeat Shai and company's team, also including the NBA Cup. And in the group stage, as is evident, they were undefeated with four wins in four games.
The Thunder could surpass one of the greatest achievements in history / Gerald Leong / AP
However, the Blazers did not have the ability to qualify for the quarterfinals, so not even the only executioner that Oklahoma has had will be in front to, pardon the redundancy, confront him. YesWithout a doubt, they are one of the most unstoppable teams in NBA history and they seriously threaten to break the record of the Golden State Warriors (73-9).
Who stops the Thunder?
They have enough bench depth to last the entire season. The only scenario that could shake the castle formed by Oklahoma is an injury to one of the key pieces. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does not miss a single game and is a player who is very respectful of injuries.
In addition to the duel between the Thunder and the Suns, there will be other quarterfinal matches of maximum tension and equality: Orlando Magic – Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors – New York Knicks, y Los Ángeles – San Antonio Spurs. Everything to be decided, although any scenario other than seeing Oklahoma lift the cup could be classified as a surprise.
