A cold stretch for the OKC Thunder suddenly has them on the playoff bubble. But through all the turmoil and doubt, Paul George keeps the faith.
A four-game losing streak put the OKC Thunder on the playoff bubble in the homestretch of the season. But Paul George reminded the fans why we shouldn’t be worried about missing the playoffs, and proved it with a big win over the Toronto Raptors to keep the Thunder at fifth place in the West.
Paul George on sinking to 8th in the West: “We know if we win where we at, we know if we lose where we at going into the game. So we control our destiny” pic.twitter.com/THH40KVjS8
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) March 21, 2019
The storyline this season hearkens back to last year when OKC was fighting for its playoff lives right down to the final game. This year, however, the players, coaches, and fans had higher expectations with a revamped roster and George playing his second season with the team. And while we’ve been treated to an MVP-caliber season from George, the drama remains the same.
A timely win over Toronto
Had the Thunder lost to the Raps on Friday, they would’ve been tied for eighth and much closer to possibly being on the outside looking in. Still, they’re only one game ahead of the eighth-place Spurs with nine regular-season games remaining. And even though there’s a 5.5 game difference between the Spurs and the Kings in ninth, a first-round matchup against the Warriors is only delaying the inevitable.
“These are the guys I wanna be on the floor with. However the ways we can get the best out of each other, that’s what we go for.”
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 24, 2019
- @Yg_Trece pic.twitter.com/tsxSORZqku
In addition to George’s comforting words, Thunder fans can also rest easy knowing they play at
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home in seven of the final nine remaining games. With any luck, they’ll be able to make up the half-game gap with Clippers in fifth, which would likely give them a first-round matchup against Portland.
With even more luck, they will see the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. Even though they have been good against OKC in the regular season, the Thunder have more firepower across the board in the form of two superstars Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
This matchup is extremely unlikely as OKC would need Portland to lose a bunch of games while the Clips take care of business.
Regardless, the Thunder’s focus should remain on staying in the playoff race, with an added note of not sliding to eighth if at all possible. Although Oklahoma City can sometimes make putting the ball in the basket more difficult than it needs to be, there’s no denying George and company can’t be counted out.