When you're at the top, it can be easy to look down and anxiously worry about any team that has a shot to dethrone you. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, most of that rhetoric this season has been centered on the highly-competitive Western Conference.
They have a 1-4 record against the San Antonio Spurs this season. With the unique matchup difficulties that Victor Wembanyama presents, there's genuine reason to worry there. Although the Denver Nuggets have had some rough patches this season, they are still easily one of the most potent teams in the NBA when they're right. Even the Los Angeles Lakers, who have now won 9 of their last 10 games, could be a problem.
But Oklahoma City's loss to the Boston Celtics on March 25 represents more than just a bump in the road. After a full season of discounting the Eastern Conference, Boston looks like a true championship contender.
If a team of this ability is able to rise out of the East, the Thunder's most dangerous challenger could lie outside of any already treacherous Western Conference.
The Boston Celtics have elevated themselves into the championship conversation
Not many people expected the Celtics to find the success they have this season. In what was supposed to be a down year, they've ascended to the upper echelon of their conference, currently holding a 48-24 record and the second seed in the East.
They're currently second in the NBA in offensive rating and fourth in defensive rating. On Wednesday night, they proved they can hang with (and exploit the vulnerabilities of) the best team in the league.
Granted, Oklahoma City did not have an excellent shooting night in their 109-119 loss to Boston. But the Celtics were able to utilize the gravity that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum command to disrupt the Thunder's defensive connectivity. Oklahoma City was burnt multiple times throughout the night by sending help defenders onto their two stars.
Boston has thrived in these scenarios dating back to their 2023 championship squad. But the nagging question this season surrounded whether they had the juice and the experience on this current roster to truly be a title threat.
In out-rebounding the Thunder and controlling the pace of the game from essentially the second quarter onwards, they've unequivocally answered that question.
Since the offseason, when the Western Conference teams were busy making additions to their roster, the predominant thought was that whoever came out of the West would win the championship. Boston is forcing the league to re-evaluate that assumption with each passing day.