OKC - Five-peat! Final summary

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Re: OKC - Five amazing seasons

Postby Phil89 on Fri Jun 14, 2013 12:28 am

1/7/14

Thunder up: A recap of the Oklahoma City's amazing rise

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Five titles in five years. The Oklahoma City Thunder have dominated the NBA in the opening half of this decade. Superstar forward Kevin Durant has been there for each of them and has picked up an impressive amount of individual awards and accolades over the journey as well. Here is a recap of their amazing rise to prominence in a short period of time.



2010: The beginning of greatness

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The Thunder weren't really expected to do much in 2010. They were coming off a 23-win debut season in Oklahoma City and had a team full of promising youngsters and crafty veterans. Young general manager Sam Presti was committed to improving his team's roster though and set about positioning them to be a big player in the 2011 free agency period. Many people thought that it was a solid strategy at the time, but figured it would cost them any shot at making the playoffs, let alone winning a championship. Presti moved several fringe players in order to get expiring contracts and create cap room. One of the deals saw him include athletic young guard James Harden in a deal with Memphis. The deal landed him OJ Mayo, who turned out to be a great scoring partner for Kevin Durant. The pair averaged nearly 58 points per game between them and led the team to highs that were truly unimaginable at the start of the season. Kevin Durant, OJ Mayo and Jeff Green all earned all-star selections for the first time. Durant was named the most valuable player and defensive player of the year. Coach Scott Brooks was named the coach of the year.

After surprising everyone by topping the western conference with a 62-20 record, the Thunder set up a finals date with the heavily favoured Miami Heat after sweeping San Antonio, dropping only one game against Houston and then sweeping Phoenix in the conference finals. People didn't know it at the time but this was the beginning of an amazingly close, tough and at times breathtaking rivalry. The Thunder set the tone for the series in the first quarter of game one. They scored 40 points and held a solid 12 point lead at the first break. Miami did mount a fightback but bench sharpshooter Shannon Brown had a great shooting night and sank five big time three pointers as the Thunder held on to win 133-124 in their first ever NBA finals game. They managed to hold onto home court advantage by winning game two 127-122, despite the Heat's 'big three' combining for 81 points. Sensing the danger of going down 3-0 in the series, Heat main man LeBron James stepped up in game 3 in Miami and finished with 33 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in a 116-106 win.

It was Chris Bosh's turn to shine in game 4. He had 36 points and 17 rebounds as the Heat leveled the series at 2-2 with a 132-118 win. Game 5 was the turning point of the series. The Thunder grabbed a crucial road win, 129-124, to go 3-2 up heading back to Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant was brilliant in leading his team. His superb 42 point display announced to the basketball world that he had arrived as a real star of the league. With the momentum on their side, the Thunder returned home for game 6 and despite LeBron's 37 point effort managed to hold on to win their first ever NBA championship. Durant was named finals MVP after averaging 30 points and 5 rebounds in the six games. It was an amazing achievement from a team that wasn't even supposed to make the playoffs that season. This success had a big impact on their ability to attract quality players in he off-season.


Season 1 highlights

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2011: Here we go again

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The 2011 season started brightly for the reigning champions as they re-signed versatile forward Jeff Green (5yr/$48m) and lured big man Al Horford from Atlanta (5yr/47m). Compared to the bonanza of big name free agent signings in recent years this off-season was relatively dull. The main movers were Zach Randolph signing with Minnesota and Yao Ming leaving Houston for Sacramento. Horford gelled well with his new team and the Thunder quickly picked up from where they had left off as they rose to the top of the western conference and stayed there. Not willing to rest on his team's success, general manager Sam Presti decided to really solidify their title ambitions by making two high profile trades. Firstly he brought Harden back from Memphis for OJ Mayo and a first round pick, then midway through the season he sent Jeff Green to New Jersey in exchange for center Brook Lopez. History looks favourably on these two deals and both players played key roles in the future success of the franchise. Durant, Lopez and Horford all earned all-star game selections, with Durant subsequently winning the MVP award. He would add his first scoring title to his collection as well. Coach Brooks won his second coach of the year award too.

Oklahoma City once again topped the western conference with a 67-15 record and looked set to repeat the previous year's heroics after sweeping Phoenix in the first round. Game four of that series will go down as one of the greatest of all time though. The Suns just wouldn't give up on the series and forced three overtime periods. The game eventually ended 188-187 with the Thunder coming out on top. Most of the players barely had the strength to walk to the locker rooms afterwards. Some of the stats from the game were amazing. OJ Mayo (60 points), Jason Richardson (46 points, 5assists), Steve Nash (39 points, 27assists), Kevin Durant (40 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists), Hedo Turkoglu (33 points, 7 rebounds), Jeff Green (30 points, 17 rebounds, 9 assists), Robin Lopez (12 points, 17 rebounds), Grant Hill (24 points, 10 assists) and Russell Westbrook (14 points, 13 assists) all were fantastic in the game. The Thunder got a massive scare in the conference semi finals next up as a determined Utah team pushed them to six games.

The conference finals against Portland were slightly less challenging as they only dropped one game. They had reached the NBA finals for the second straight season and once again faced the Miami Heat. It was in the lead up to this series that the media really hyped the fact that this new rivalry could go on for years to come. Game one was another classic, with the Heat fighting back to force two overtime periods before grabbing a 148-143 win and snatching home court advantage. Brook Lopez (38p/16r/5a), Chris Bosh (36p/13r), Al Horford (34p/11r) and Udonis Haslem (16p/18r) battled all night. Game two was completely different though as Russell Westbrook (24p/11a) led a fourth quarter assault on the Heat defense which saw the Thunder run away 112-94 winners and tie the series as it headed to Miami. Game three looked to be done and dusted by half time as the Heat ran out to a 20 point lead. The Thunder bravely fought back though but fell agonisingly short, losing 108-106. Miami's series lead was short-lived though as Oklahoma City grabbed an early lead in game four and refused to relinquish it. They eventually held off the Heat and grabbed a comfortable 102-88 win to the the series as 2-2. It was the same position that these teams had found themselves in the season before and it was the Thunder who took the initiative and won the next two games to become champions.

Game five this year was a similar story as a stunning second quarter set up a 107-100 win for the Thunder. They were now only one win away from back-to-back titles and were heading back to Oklahoma City for game six. Miami's confidence seemed shot after game five because the Thunder all but sealed the title with a brilliant first quarter in game six. They led 38-22 after one quarter and increased the lead further in the second quarter, leading 71-44 by half time. Despite the party atmosphere going on inside Chesapeake Energy Arena the players had to be professional and close out the game despite the outcome being pretty much settled already. The game ended in a 119-91 Thunder win and they were crowned champions once again. Durant was named final MVP for the second straight season. He and his team now had the chance to emulate what the Lakers and bulls had done before them in the past two decades, secure a three-peat of titles.


Season 2 highlights

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2012: Three-peat

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It was a busy off-season for the Thunder as Brook Lopez re-signed (5yr/$53m), Russell Westbrook re-signed (5yr/$52m) and also managed to convince former UCLA team mate Kevin Love to accept less money to be apart of a championship contending team. With the signing of former Celtics anchor Kendrick Perkins as well the Thunder found themselves with an embarrassment of riches in their frontcourt. Despite the team's ongoing success, the likes of Perkins and Love were growing frustrated at their reduced playing time. Sam Presti decided to make some moves midway through the season by sending the unhappy Perkins to Toronto in exchange for former number one pick Andrea Bargnani. Many people didn't like the move at the time as Bargnani was on a fairly big contract and wasn't having the best of seasons. The Italian worked hard once he arrived in Oklahoma City though and quickly rose to be one of Scott Brooks' favoured bench options. A few months later Presti shocked everyone by bringing LA Clippers star and hometown hero Blake Griffin to the Thunder. Presti had acted after rumours circled that Griffin was planning to leave the Clippers as a free agent at the end of the season. The deal for Griffin had cost them Love, Serge Ibaka and bench scorer Shannon Brown, but Presti was always confident that Griffin would be a star for his team. It turned out to be the case as Griffin fitted in well with the up-tempo style that the Thunder played. Kevin Durant and Brook Lopez earned all-star selections and Durant won his second all-star game MVP. He went on to win his second defensive player of the year award on the back of being the league's steals leader for the third consecutive season.

The Thunder finished the season with one more win than the previous year (68-20). They were playing some of the most potent and entertaining basketball ever seen in the history of the league and swept Dallas, San Antonio and Portland on their way to a third straight NBA finals appearance. Unsurprisingly they would face Miami again in the third chapter of a rivalry that was growing into something truly special. Game one again set the tone for the series, but this time it was anything but close. Blake Griffin (30p/15r/16a) absolutely dominated the Heat in his first ever finals game. The Thunder ran out 121-101 winners in a blowout. Game two was a closer affair with Wade and Bosh combining for 69 points, but Griffin (24p/7r/10a) again led the Thunder to victory and they headed to Miami leading the series 2-0.

Everyone expected the Heat to come out strong in game three and that's exactly what they did, racing out to a 55-44 lead at the half. A huge third quarter effort from Oklahoma City, including a 16-0 start to the quarter, tied the game going into the fourth though and they eventually ground out a 111-106 win to put themselves on the brink of another title. Game four was an epic struggle. After a tight first quarter Miami raced ahead to a 65-54 lead at the half, but a strong defensive effort by the Thunder in the third quarter limited the Heat to only 16 points and they found themselves trailing by two points with a quarter left to play. Having gained the lead the Thunder were never going to relinquish it and held on to sweep their great rivals and win their third straight championship despite Miami's 'big three' combining for 89 points. Blake Griffin won the finals MVP award after averaging 24 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 blocks per game in the series. The Thunder also made history by becoming the first team to win the title without dropping a single game in the playoffs.


Season 3 highlights

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2013: Building the dynasty further

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After such a successful first year as a Thunder player Blake Griffin signed a deserved contract extension (6yr/$68m), whilst cult figure James Harden also re-signed (4yr/$41m). Veterans Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady signed up for one last go at winning a title, just as Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill and Allen Iverson had done the year before to great effect. The Thunder pulled off another coup during the off-season by sending Russell Westbrook, Andrea Bargnani and Marvin Williams to Milwaukee in exchange for superstar guard Derrick Rose. The deal was similar to the Griffin deal in that the Bucks were worried at losing their star player for nothing as a free agent. Presti sent reserve big man DeJuan Blair to Minnesota for cap relief and a future first round pick in January. Things followed a similar path to previous years for the Thunder during the 2013 season as they continued their dominance of the western conference. Durant, Griffin and Rose were all selected in the all-star game. Norwegian rookie Rolf Young was picked for the rookie game and was voted player of the game. Durant on his third defensive player of the year award, whilst coach Scott Brooks won his fourth consecutive coach of the year award.

By the end of the season the Thunder had increased their record on the previous by one win again. Their 69-13 record fell agonisingly short of the magical seventy win mark. The Thunder didn't mind though as they looked ahead to another playoff campaign. They cruised past Kobe and the Lakers in five games, then beat the Jazz in five before the Spurs pushed them to six in the conference finals. As was becoming tradition, they once again faced Miami in the NBA finals. Would it be fourth time lucky for the Heat? Game one in Oklahoma City started out as an intense, high-scoring struggle between two top teams. The Thunder's defense in the second quarter however allowed them to build a ten point lead at the half. They then went blow for blow with the Heat in the second half and took a 1-0 lead in the series with a 124-114 win. Blake Griffin (31p/7r/6a/5b) was the standout player, with both Durant and LeBron scoring 30+. Game two started off well for the Thunder as they led 39-28 after one quarter, but a blistering second half by the Heat set them up for a 131-123 road win to level the series 1-1. It was a tough loss for Kevin Durant in particular after he dropped 54 points and had 7 steals. Derrick Rose (34p/8a) and Chris Bosh (33p/17r) were also excellent. The Heat were confident with the series level and the next three games in Miami.

It was the Thunder's 'big three' though that came up big in game three. Durant, Rose and Griffin combined for 117 of their 132 points. Rose (46) and Durant (42) were both knocking down shots from all over the court. Game four was a classic battle of wills between two highly skilled teams. Neither team led by more than four points all night and it was only late in the fourth quarter, with both LeBron and Bosh in foul trouble, that the Thunder were able to pull away enough to secure a 126-118 win and go 3-1 up in the series. Durant (37) and Rose (36) both piled on the points for Oklahoma City, whilst Chris Bosh (36p/13r) led the way for the Heat. Game five was another high-scoring affair, with the Thunder coming out 129-123 winners and securing their place in basketball history with their fourth straight title. Kevin Durant was immense all game and seemed determined not to let the series go for another game. He dropped a lazy 50 points and collected his fourth ring, not to mention being named finals MVP for the third time after the game. The scoring machine managed nearly 33 points per game in the series as well as 3 steals.


Season 4 highlights

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2014: Heat make changes, but the result is the same

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The Thunder headed into the 2014 season in a position that not many reigning champions find themselves in. They had the greatest chance at winning the draft lottery with the pick that they had acquired from Minnesota in the DeJuan Blair trade. Unfortunately for them, and perhaps fortunately for every other team in the league, they had a horrible lottery draw and ended up with the fourth overall pick. A bigger shock to everyone happened on draft day as Sam Presti pulled off a strange trade, sending triple-champion center Brook Lopez to Indiana in exchange for Roy Hibbert. It was a strange move as Lopez was two years younger than Hibbert and a proven winner with the Thunder. Presti later claimed that the deal was done for financial reasons as Hibbert had fewer years left on his deal. As for the actual draft Presti chose 23 year old Howie Jeffries out of Louisville. The Argentinian center had been getting comparisons with Jermaine O'Neal and at one point had been touted as the top prospect in the draft class. Jeffries appealed to Presti as his team are in 'win now' mode and he already had an NBA-ready body, being more mature than other prospects.

The Thunder lost Garnett and McGrady in free agency and replaced them with sharpshooter Kyle Korver and Marijuana enthusiast Michael Beasley. Apparently Kevin Durant had convinced childhood friend Beasley to join him in Oklahoma City for less money, but to win titles. The final addition to their roster before the 'drive for five' began was Jeremy Lin. The star of Linsanity would have to accept a reserve role on this team though. Their rivals in Miami decided that after four failed attempts at winning a title they should shake their roster up a bit. Their decision was made easier when Dwyane Wade asked to be traded to his hometown team in Chicago. In the three team deal with the Bulls and Jazz, the Heat got JR Smith, Raymond Felton and defensive anchor Tyson Chandler. Wade had led the team to the 2006 title, but this deal gave the Heat a much more balanced line-up, on paper anyway.

The season did not start well though as they dropped the opening game 124-123 in Dallas. Things soon picked up for them though and they occupied their familiar top spot in the western conference for most of the season. Kevin Durant had a great individual season. He was selected for fifth straight all-star game, won the all-star MVP, won both the scoring title and defensive player of the year and somehow was beaten by Chris Bosh to the regular season MVP award. Many people felt that Durant had had the better season, but that Bosh got the nod because his team finished with a better record. Durant was the first player to break the 35 point average since Kobe Bryant in 2006. For the first time during their championship run the Thunder didn't finish the season with the league's best record. That honour went to the Heat. Maybe it was a sign that it would finally be their turn to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Durant wasn't bothered about the snub though as he prepared to compete for a fifth title. First in line to stop the Thunder was Phoenix. Oklahoma City set the tone in game one as they went on a scoring spree and ran out 145-102 winners. Surprisingly they didn't have any player break the 30 point mark, instead having seven players scoring in double-digits. It was a real team performance and showed that they didn't have to rely on Durant. It was a high-scoring series with the Thunder eventually closing it out after five games. Next up they faced some familiar faces in Al Horford and Kevin Love playing for the LA Clippers. It seemed like their inside knowledge would pay off after the Clippers won game one 148-141 in overtime. Mo Williams (50p/11a) and Kevin Love (13p/17r) dominated on both ends, whilst Kevin Durant (44p) and Derrick Rose (25p/17a) put up strong resistance for the Thunder. It was back to business as usual though in game two as a brilliant game from Griffin (38p/12r/3a/8b) saw them win 134-123.

It was Durant's turn next as the series shifted to Los Angeles for game three. He scored 43 points in the Thunder's 134-125 win, earning them back home court advantage. Durant scored another 40 points in their game four win and nailed a last-second jumper in game five to send the Thunder to the conference finals once again. This season it was Utah trying to stop them from advancing to the NBA finals. Game one was a battle between two fired up point guards. Derrick Rose (24p/17a) and Mario Chalmers (28p/16a) went back and forth all night, but it was Rose who had the last laugh as the Thunder won 124-120. Game two was another classic night in Oklahoma City that ended in a 154-146 overtime win for the home team. Durant, Chalmers, Foye and Griffin all passed the forty point mark, whilst Rose and Chalmers both racked up high assist totals. 37 points from Durant helped seal a 109-99 win in game three and another 39 in game four saw the Thunder sweep the Jazz and heading to their fifth straight NBA finals.

The only question was who would they face. Not really. It was always going to be Miami again. With home court advantage for the first time in the five years that they'd faced the Thunder, Miami failed to capitalise and the Thunder took game one 143-140 in overtime. The Thunder had three players scoring over 30 points, whilst Chris Bosh (38p/17r) was the only shining light for the Heat. Miami came out hurt in game two and raced to a 14 point lad after one quarter. They held off a late Thunder charge to win 124-121 and level the series 1-1. Back in Oklahoma City for game three the Thunder went on a rampage in the first half leading 69-50. Miami attempted a comeback in the second half but foul trouble for Bosh and Tyson Chandler ended their run. Thunder won 120-110 and had two more home games to seal another title. Miami had other plans though as they took game four 138-126 on the back of Tyson Chandler (20p/14r) and LeBron (31p/7r). Harden (43) and Durant (38) were the Thunder's best players on the night.

In game five Durant was on a mission that ensure that his team headed to Miami with a 3-2 lead in the series and that's exactly what he did. He dropped 45 points and grabbed 8 rebounds as the Thunder ran out 125-109 winners. Game six was a crazy game with Miami on top early and the Thunder coming back strong later on. It eventually went to overtime and it was Durant that led his team to victory once again and gave himself a fifth chance to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy aloft. The 145-137 win put this Thunder team up there with the Bulls and Lakers team of the past two decades. Durant was crowned the finals MVP for the fourth time after averaging an amazing 37 points per game in the series.


Season 5 highlights

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Thunder Dynasty
Of the 49 players involved in Oklahoma City's championships over the past 5 seasons, only Kevin Durant has played in them all.

5 rings
Kevin Durant

4 rings
James Harden

3 rings
Russell Westbrook, Brook Lopez, Blake Griffin

2 rings
Shannon Brown, Serge Ibaka, Byron Mullens, Daequan Cook, Rolf Young, Derrick Rose, Eric Maynor

1 ring
Erick Dampier, Jeff Green, OJ Mayo, Jamario Moon, Nenad Krstic, Acie Law, Patrick O'Bryant, Sasha Vujacic, Al Horford,
Corey Brewer, Wesley Matthews, Hasheem Thabeet, Sonny Weems, Ronald Murray, Rocco Roe, Shaquille O'Neal, Ryan Gomes,
George Hill, Allen Iverson, Andrea Bargnani, Marvin Williams, Grant Hill, Al Cunningham, Eric Bledsoe, Kevin Garnett,
Tracy McGrady, Crawford Mayer, Gilbert Arenas, Kris Humphries, Antawn Jamison, Howie Jeffries, Kyle Korver,
Michael Beasley, Kevin Seraphin, Nick Collison, Jeremy Lin, Ron Artest



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2015-?: The Future

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It was a tough off-season for fans of the Thunder as Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose mulled over offers from around the league. They eventually both left some money on the table in order to re-sign with the Thunder and keep the dynasty together. Both accepted four year contracts worth around $60m each. Impressive Norwegian forward Rolf Young was also rewarded for his good form, signing a three year deal worth almost $15m. Veteran Nick Collison also returned and veteran Tony Allen came in in a short-term deal. Kevin Seraphin, Ron Artest and Kyle Korver were all released due to cap restrictions, whilst Jeremy Lin took his talents to Los Angeles after signing a one year deal worth about $6m with the Lakers. Elsewhere in the league Joakim Noah signed with the Celtics (4yr/$58m), Carlos Boozer joined the Mavericks (1yr/$7m), Omer Asik joined the Heat (1yr/$6m), Wilson Chandler joined the Suns (1yr/$6m) and DeMarcus Cousins joined the Raptors (4yr/$46m). Whilst Rajon Rondo (4yr/$61m), Al Jefferson (4yr/$72m) and Derrick Favors (4yr/$35m) all re-signed with their teams for the long term.

It seems as though Miami and Oklahoma City will again both be favourites to top their respective conferences after retaining all of their stars. Perhaps the addition of Asik to the Heat will give them another defensive player in the paint to properly deal with Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant. Time will tell whether or not the Thunder can equal the feat of the Bulls and Lakers by grabbing a sixth title, but you certainly wouldn't bet against them.
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Re: OKC - Five-peat! Final summary

Postby Andrew on Fri Jun 14, 2013 12:34 am

Very nice. (Y)
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Re: OKC - Five-peat! Final summary

Postby Phil89 on Fri Jun 14, 2013 12:07 pm

I figured it was time to give this a proper ending. The way I was originally going to do the summary would have taken ages and is probably why I hadn't done it yet. So I decided to do a shortened version and had a couple of hours free yesterday to do it.

I loaded up Live 10 yesterday and after 6 months of playing 2k13 it felt really weird. I'm sure I'll pick this up again someday though and go for that sixth ring.
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Re: OKC - Five-peat! Final summary

Postby Andrew on Sat Jun 15, 2013 12:41 am

That'd be cool, though I know what you mean about it being difficult to go back.
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Re: OKC - Five-peat! Final summary

Postby kibaxx7 on Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:47 am

Great to see this ending compilation (Y) Man, beating Miami in every title, that must have been even better.
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Re: OKC - Five-peat! Final summary

Postby Mark. on Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:40 pm

Nice ending to a legacy there mate (Y)
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