OKC Thunder Erase any doubt with dominant four-game stretch after loss

Despite starting the season with numerous injuries, including one to Jalen Williams, the Thunder’s second-best player, the team got off to an incredibly hot start as the bid to repeat as champions got underway. Oklahoma City opened the season 8-0 before heading to Portland for the ninth game of the year against a much-improved Trail Blazers team.

And early in that game, it looked like the Thunder were going to win 9-0 and keep the undefeated streak alive. OKC led by 22 points in the first half, but let Portland take the lead away, get back into it and ultimately make it a close game. The Thunder had a chance to get the win on the final possession but failed to do so, falling to 8-1.

Whenever you’re the reigning champion, every game feels like there’s extra pressure on because of the target on your back and the fact that you’re taking the best punch of every team. And even though the Thunder were still 8-1 at the time, still in first place in the Western Conference and still with the best record in the NBA, it felt like a game where the Thunder seemed beatable.

As good as this team is, it often feels unbeatable. This group has a mode and equipment to use that looks downright invincible. When the defense is clicking like it always does, and the offense is also clicking that same night – which has more variance – this team is almost impossible to beat given the roster composition, the two-way talent and the upside of the star.

But after that first loss in Portland, after blowing a 22-point lead, the conversation shifted to how OKC would respond. Many teams that win a championship experience a hangover the following season. That’s a big part of why there hasn’t been a returning champion in a while. But the Thunder’s rebound in the last four games since that loss has been nothing short of dominant.

Since the loss to Portland, Oklahoma City has defeated the Kings by 31 points, followed by a loss to the Grizzlies by 14 points, a game that actually required a bit of a comeback after a slow start, and then defeated the Warriors by 24 points. Most recently, on the second night of a back-to-back against a Lakers team that is clearly a contender, OKC absolutely dismantled them. The Thunder led by 32 at halftime and eventually walked away in a blowout.

The point differential since that loss has been nothing short of incredible: 24.5 points over this stretch. This team has shifted gears.

The offense is finally starting to catch up with the defense, and suddenly this team looks like it could win 70+ games. After winning 68 last year, the Thunder somehow look even better as the continuity continues to shine and the chemistry takes another leap as this young core grows organically. And with players like Ajay Mitchell having their breakout seasons, it was special to watch.

Now OKC is 12-1, by far the best record in the NBA, and still hasn’t gotten a single minute from Jalen Williams. Chet Holmgren has missed a handful of games. Lu Dort has missed the last few games of this four-game recovery stretch. And yet the 12-1 score is impressive. ‘

Realistically, this team should probably be 13-0 if it hadn’t blown that 22-point lead. The Thunder are a much better team than Portland, but the response to that loss was just as impressive as the 8-0 start.

With the offense finally coming and the overall roster looking complete, Oklahoma City now heads into a stretch of games where they should be heavy favorites before a tougher mini-stretch arrives in about a week. There’s a very real chance the Thunder gets 15 or 16 wins before taking their next loss. And right now, everything is on the table about how special this team is.