3 Takeaways from the OKC Thunder's narrow win over the Portland Trailblazers
By Alex Mcewen
On top of the world
After beating the West and their division rival, the Minnesota Timberwolves, on Saturday night, and the Wolves suffered an uncharacteristic loss at home to the Charlotte Hornets, OKC's matchup with the Blazers was set up to move the Thunder into the top seed, so long as the won by at least one point.
It did not come without drama, but the Thunder ultimately won by two points, 111-109, and are sitting atop the Western Conference at this late in the season for the first time since January 2020.
This is a massive step forward for this young group, and feels a bit ahead schedule. Regardless, this moment should not be taken for granted and should be enjoyed by both the teams and it's fans.
Another fun wrinkle, if the Thunder hold onto the top-spot, head coach Mark Daigneault will be coaching in his first All-Star game, ironically if the result holds Daigneault will coach an All-Star game before coaching in the post-season.