Thunder Win Playoff Series For First Time in Eight Years

With a series-clinching game four victory, the Oklahoma City Thunder finally moved past the first round after years of little playoff success.

Apr 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) passes / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a long time since the Oklahoma City Thunder felt the gratification of a playoff series win.

Eight years have passed since the Thunder's Western Conference Finals run featuring Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in 2016, the last time it got past the first round until it secured a series win over the New Orleans Pelicans in four games last night.

Although all-time franchise moments have occurred in that near-decade stretch, the longing for the feeling of playoff success has been plaguing Oklahoma City all that time. Westbrook, and the eventual addition of Paul George, came close to getting series wins, but they always came just short.

Today's Thunder — headlined by the young trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren — did what past teams couldn't, much less in the manner that it demolished the Pelicans. The series was hardly a competition, and even though New Orleans had a disadvantage with the injury of Zion Williamson, Oklahoma City did what it needed to do to move on.

Oklahoma City left "The Big Easy" with a 97-89 win in Game 4, mostly thanks to a 27-18 point deficit in the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams combined for 48 points and 18 rebounds that led most of the charge, but Holmgren's 14 points and nine rebounds also made a large impact.

Such a quick first round series win shows the uniqueness with the current Thunder roster. Few of its players have been on a playoff stage before in their young careers, but despite that, it seems like each and every one of them have the maturity of longtime veterans. By all accounts Oklahoma City shouldn't be in this position right now, but it's doing nothing but breaking that assumption.

"For a group of guys — I guess you can say we're young, we don't have the most experience winning basketball games — to figure it out and stick with it, it's very impressive," Gilgeous-Alexander said following the Game 4 win.

This is a new era of Thunder basketball. A fresh start from the disappointments of the last eight years. It's been a long journey of ups and downs, loss of talent and missed opportunities, but with where the franchise stands now, it's hard to regret any of it.

Oklahoma City has the potential to go past just a first round series win, too. It's eyeing either the Dallas Mavericks or Los Angeles Clippers in the second round, two teams with a whole lot more experience than it. But with the talent it has at its disposal and momentum behind it, don't be shocked if it also reaches its first WCF in eight years.

Lots of history has been made in this playoff run already, but the Thunder don't want it to end anytime soon.

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