The Oklahoma City Thunder 2012 team had Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, etc., all on their roster. The team was greatly accepted by many as the best team in their franchise history due to their level of dominance over all the best teams in the NBA at that time.
They were feared by many; they made exciting history together; they had several great comebacks against some of the best teams in the NBA; they left the fans yearning to see them on the court always; and they were all unstoppable until the NBA playoff final day against the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.
Thunder’s explosive performance in 2012 explored
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks, the current NBA Champions, in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers, who had won the previous two championships and had Kobe Bryant on their team, were then upset by them. and then played the Spurs, who had been the top seed in the playoffs for the previous two years and had won four championships since 1999.
Durant and Westbrook led the Thunder, which made it to the NBA Finals for the first time in 14 years as the only Western Conference club to do so other than the Mavericks, Lakers, or Spurs. They say that in order to be the best, one must defeat the best, and Oklahoma City has done just that.
However, it appears that this young, talented team has finally excelled and won the distinction of being the league’s best group. But it wasn’t so as the LeBron-led Miami Heat seized a strong lead in the NBA Finals, winning Game 4 with a score of 104-98 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This loss did little to daunting their reputation.
Thunders get “favorite team in NBA history” remark
The 2012 team had promising young stars in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, and it seemed like they would dominate the league for many years. They had three top best scorers and a strong defender, so the question wasn’t whether this group would win a championship, but how many they would win.
There is no doubt that Thunders had their favorite team in NBA history in 2012. During the tournament, the 2012 team defeated the 1993 and 1996 Seattle SuperSonic teams to reach the championship round. Offensively, they have Kevin Durant, who has been the league’s top scorer for three seasons. They are exceptionally fast on the court. Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden can make crucial shots and lead the team.
As a group, they ranked third in the league for points per game (103.1) and were one of only three teams averaging 100 points per game. On defense, Serge Ibaka is the NBA leader in blocks per game (3.65), and Durant also excels, ranking eighth in defensive rebounds per game (7.4). Their opponents’ field-goal percentage ties them for third in the league at 42.7 percent.
Their strong suit is playing solid defense, causing turnovers, and then using their speed and athleticism for fast breaks and easy baskets. However, this Thunder team is more than just statistics and talent. They had grown as a team and consistently closed out games when it mattered most.
What’s your take on this unreal performance by the Thunder in 2012? Did you watch the game? Tell us about your experience with this game in the comments.
