The Oklahoma City Thunder Return to the NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder are headed back to the NBA Finals after a decisive victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals. The Thunder secured their spot on Wednesday with a 124-94 win, featuring an outstanding performance from league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 points. This triumph marked a notable achievement, as the Thunder became only the third team in NBA history to clinch a postseason series with two separate 30-point victories, joining the prestigious ranks of the 2008 Boston Celtics and 1987 Los Angeles Lakers, both of whom also captured the championship that year.
A Brief History of the Thunder in the Finals
The last time Oklahoma City reached the NBA Finals was in 2012, when they overcame Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals, winning the series in six games with Kevin Durant averaging a remarkable 29.5 points per game during that stretch. Since that time, both the franchise and the broader basketball landscape have undergone significant changes.
Before the rise of current stars like Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, the franchise was known for its formidable trio of Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. During the 2011-12 season, this trio propelled Oklahoma City to a 47-19 record, with their combined scoring average reaching an impressive 68.4 points per game. In their playoff journey to the Finals that season, they eliminated the defending champions, the Dallas Mavericks, in the first round, then defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games before taking down the Spurs.
The 2012 Finals Experience
In the 2012 Finals, the Thunder faced off against the Miami Heat, which featured stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. While the Thunder won the opening game, they ultimately lost the series, four games to one, allowing Miami to celebrate as the Finals champions, with James earning his first MVP honor.
Beyond Basketball: Cultural Impact
Interestingly, following that challenging season, Durant entered the film world with “Thunderstruck,” a family movie that was released in August 2012. The film’s plot follows a young fan who magically swaps basketball skills with Durant, leading to unexpected twists for both characters. Even though the film earned only $587,211 at the box office, it highlighted Durant’s growing stature as a cultural icon.
2012: A Year of Change
In 2012, during the Thunder’s last Finals appearance, Nicki Minaj was also making waves in the music industry with her successful album “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,” which included the hit single “Beez in the Trap” featuring 2 Chainz. Meanwhile, Instagram, initially launched in 2010, was gaining traction and even expanded to Android devices in 2012, following its acquisition by Facebook.
