NBA
Stephen A. Smith thinks OKC are headed for first NBA Finals since 2012
Joe Lyons is a sports writer and basketball expert for Basketball Insiders. Joe has a keen eye for the betting markets within the NBA and a great passion for the game of basketball. also been published by Nottingham Forest FC, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of other sports including soccer, horse racing darts and American football. Joe specialises in long form SEO content alongside news, tips and betting.
All posts by Joe LyonsUpdated2 hours ago on December 18, 2024
Stephen A. Smith is backing the Oklahoma City Thunder to erode a 13-year long absence from the NBA Finals and win the Western Conference in 2025.
As we speak, the Thunder are sitting pretty at the top of their conference – three games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies in second – and as per the best online sportsbooks, they’re the standout favourites to come out of the West.
The bubble was burst on Tuesday in Las Vegas when the Milwaukee Bucks comfortably brushed OKC to the side in the NBA Cup final but that hasn’t made their title odds flinch.
The team are still without Chet Holmgren due to injury and the Thunder are really starting to feel his lack of presence despite Isaiah Hartenstein’s best efforts.
Speaking before tip-off in Nevada, Stephen A. told the NBA Countdown panel his hopes for this talented Oklahoma City side:
“I don’t look at this team and see any weakness, or any excuse for yet another Sam Presti team to come up short.
“Enough is enough.”
“I’m ready to tell you right now, not even at the mid-season point, I got the Oklahoma City Thunder going to the Finals out of the West.”@stephenasmith on how good the Thunder look ✍️ pic.twitter.com/WQGSvli9t0
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 18, 2024
Thunder’s shooting woes lead to night of frustration in Las Vegas
It was an evening to forget in Sin City for Oklahoma City, led by an under-par performance from MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Canadian shot 8/24 from the floor and 2/9 from downtown, while the team as a whole made just 33% of their shots and 15% from three.
Entering as 5.5-point favorites, the Thunder disappointed in what was hyped as one of the biggest games in recent franchise history.
The Bucks defense stood tall and allowed just 31 OKC points in the second half as Mark Daigneault’s offense struck a brick wall.
