Talk about an extraordinary regular season… congrats to the Oklahoma City Thunder! They finished the campaign on a remarkable note of 68 victories against just 14 defeats. Vince Carter’s accomplishment represents a huge step forward in NBA history. The Thunder demolished their opponents—even rival powerhouses like the Heat and the Spurs—by an average of 12.9 points per game, breaking the old record held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers of 12.3 ppg.
Indeed, the Thunder’s steller performance made their +1,055 total margin of victory on the season possible. Their record places them among the elite in NBA history, tying the 1972-73 Boston Celtics for the sixth-best regular-season record. Only five teams have ever achieved a better record: the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, and both the 1996-97 Bulls and the 1971-72 Lakers.
This year, Oklahoma City stepped on the Western Conference’s throats. They cruised to division win with a net 16-game lead over the runner up Houston Rockets. Now don’t get caught sleeping on how dangerous their scoring differential is. In fact, every team in the last decade that has finished in the top five in scoring has won that year’s NBA title.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said it’s important to celebrate what they’ve done while keeping an eye on their long-term goals. He stated, “We’ve got a young team and I think it’s important for them to understand some of the things we’ve accomplished,” adding, “We can appreciate and be grateful for the things we’ve accomplished and still be hungry.”
The Oklahoma City Thunder are just weeks away from entering the playoffs, which start on April 20. They’re set to open their first home game under this thrilling tournament format! They are set to face one of four potential opponents: the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, or Dallas Mavericks. After all, the Thunder were coming off a historic season. They hope to bring that momentum into the postseason and use it to profit from their terrific campaign.
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