History favors Thunder to capture NBA championship

Significant historical precedent

If history is any indicator, the Thunder will hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June. That's because the five teams below them in the points-differential-per-game-list — the 1971-72 Lakers, 1970-71 Bucks, 1995-96 Bulls, 2016-17 Warriors and 2023-24 Celtics — capped off their historic campaigns with champagne-soaked celebrations.   

Furthermore, OKC's 68-14 record, tied for the sixth-best record in NBA history, is another strong precedent for a championship. Of the five teams that finished with better records — the 2015-16 Warriors (73-9), 1995-96 Bulls (72-10), 1996-97 Bulls (69-13), 1971-72 Lakers (69-13) and 1966-67 Sixers (68-13)—only the Warriors didn't complete the mission.

The Thunder have their eyes on the prize, but realize the importance of taking a moment to appreciate what they achieved — a record that stood for over 50 seasons. 

"We've got a young team and I think it’s important for them to understand some of the things we’ve accomplished," Daigneault said of his team's historic campaign, via Associated Press. "Franchise record for wins is a great accomplishment. Some of the other things we've accomplished together are great accomplishments. We don't take them lightly. We're grateful for them and we can still be hungry despite that. It was an unbelievable regular season. It was a special group of guys that deserve these sort of things."

Oddsmakers in Las Vegas are sold on OKC to complete the mission. According to ESPNBet, the Thunder (+170) enter the postseason as slight favorites over the Celtics (+180), the defending champions.