Well, it’s certainly a happy day for the Thundernation. After 13 years of waiting since 2012, when the golden trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden almost made it to the final line. With a 124-94 win for OKC, they have now made it to the NBA Finals. But was it a surprise? Not for all. “We had it all going — defensive pressure, defensive help, responding offensively to what they were trying to do to us,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “

The focus through the distraction of a close-out game to go to the Finals, they were laser-focused.” It does seem like Coach Daigneault was expecting this win. The roster that he has, can you really blame him?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander again lived up to his MVP status, with 34 points, 7 rebounds, and eight assists. While SGA led OKC to its victory, it would not have been possible without Holmgren’s rim protection and Williams dominating the paint. The trio constantly stressed the Wolves’ game. Chet also posted 22 points, three blocks, and seven rebounds, while Williams posted 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. SGA, Chet, and J-Dub are the new big three of OKC, and their on-court chemistry has now made the possibility of winning the NBA Championship very real.

However, that’s not all, as it has been quite busy at OKC. Russell Westbrook finds himself back in the headlines in, as the former MVP is now the creative director for OKC’s brand-new entertainment and sports district. He has partnered with the multi-strategy investment firm Echo. This new partnership now influences the future of professional soccer in the city, as an eight-figure investment is promised for a 12,000-seat stadium. It is an attempt to revive the OKC Energy FC, which could not play the past few seasons due to a lack of an appropriate stadium.

OKC has always been close to Westbrook. The All-Star spent the first half of his career in this city. Even though he now plays for the Denver Nuggets, OKC is still his home. Last March, in a post-game interview, he said, “That place raised me…I’m from LA to the core, but when I arrived there, the people believed in me. They welcomed me in—my family and my friends. It feels like home to me.”

With sentiments running high in OKC, let us now focus on the event the city has long waited for.

Will the OKC Thunder finally get the championship title?

Fans have waited for a generation for this moment. After their 1979 run, OKC might finally witness a victory parade. Due to their regular season heroics, the Thunder will also have home-court advantage in the Finals. It seems like all the pieces are falling into place for Coach Daigneault. The Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley noted, “This is the Oklahoma City Invitational. Whoever comes out the east, they’re gonna beat the hell out of them… The Oklahoma City Thunder are going to win the championship… OKC is the best team in the NBA.” 

With their dominant 80 wins in the season, most in a single season in NBA history, OKC sure has a resume worthy of the title. They have had the youngest roster to reach the Finals in decades, with an average age of 24.7, there is no question about OKC’s pace. However, it is the defense that wins championships.

Well, for the Thunder, that front has been settled as well. In ECF Game 5, the OKC defense held the Wolves at under 41% shooting, forcing 21 turnovers. Minnesota just could not keep up with the faster pace of the OKC bench. “We’ve been able to grow from the experience,” Williams said.

Maybe they needed their Game three loss to jolt them back into their form. SGA said, “We dictated how we wanted to attack the game, how we wanted to attack the ball.” And if they can keep this same energy, in a new era of SGA, with Holmgren and Williams, this may be the sweet ending after their decades-long drought.