The Thunder have kept pace, though. Despite juggling injuries, the reigning NBA champions have found a groove since the NBA All-Star break. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has returned from a three-week absence. After a 104-97 win over the Golden State Warriors, he talked about the importance of the first seed.
“Very important. As you guys can see, our fans have a big part in that. They really provide energy. Change the atmosphere for us. It’s a direct correlation. Homecourt advantage is your fans and our record at home during the playoffs is what it is because of them,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s not a fluke. The energy they bring really helps us. We succeed in front of them. The more we can play at home, the better.”
Hard to argue with that logic. Remember, the Thunder only dropped two home games in last year’s playoff run to an NBA championship — both were on buzzer beaters by Aaron Gordon and Tyrese Haliburton. Aside from those hiccups, they were dominant at Paycom Center. They comfortably won two Game 7s on their way to the Larry O’Brien trophy.
While they were mediocre on the road, quick napkin math shows that being unbeatable at home goes a long way to a successful playoff run. The Thunder will look to repeat the same formula.
The Thunder understand how critical the first seed will be to their back-to-back aspirations. Feels like we’re on a collision course to a playoff series against either the Spurs or Denver Nuggets — either one should prove to be the real NBA Finals.
You’d want a possible Game 7 to be in front of the OKC crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander knows how big of a boost that can be for the Thunder.
