OKC Thunder Defense Has Forged Manageable Path to NBA Cup Championship

The Oklahoma City Thunder has found its way to the NBA Cup Championship in convincing fashion—and large part to its formidable defense.

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball against Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City's path to the NBA Cup Championship has appeared as a relatively seamless one—knocking down two talented Texas teams in the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.

Of any team in the bracket, the Thunder have attained the largest scoring margin throughout its two wins. Eclipsing the Mavericks and Rockets by a 29-point win total, Oklahoma City's dominance on this stage has illuminated how special they are as the first-seeded team in the Western Conference. And that's without the presence of Chet Holmgren.

A lot of this team's improvements from a year ago to now have come in the form of rebounding help from Isaiah Hartenstein, heightened experience on both sides of the ball from the team's younger players, and, most of all, the fortification of the Thunder defense.

With Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the list goes on, the defensive talent Oklahoma City possesses is nearly a cheat code—and with the guidance of head coach Mark Daigneault and an abundance of cohesion, it's not a surprise to see this defense remain atop the league's finest.

This has been on full display throughout NBA Cup bracket play, examining how the Thunder's backcourt locked down Kyrie Irving and forced Luka Doncic to play one of his worst games ever versus Oklahoma City. And against the Rockets, holding them to under 37% shooting from the field and 24% from 3-point distance—and creating more turnovers than committing, Oklahoma City's defense has been steadfast en route to its NBA Cup Championship bid.

Now, they'll have to point their attention to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night to take home the NBA Cup title.

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