At the gate of the playoffs, the Thunder can no longer hide

After the victory of the previous day, Thursday night, in Philadelphia, a slap was given to the 76ers (133-114), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander warned that his Thunderthe mid-season officially over, is progressing furiously and is no longer there to make up the numbers in the Western Conference.

“I think we’re going to be a very good team, sooner than people think, and I think it’s going to be pretty easy for me. [d’être patient]. I observe this development every day. I have seen this growth in the last five months, in the year, in the last two years, and I am very happy. » declared OKC’s star, as his team earned its fourth victory in its last six games.

A few hours later, in Chicago, the second leg of the “back-to-back” on the East Coast before continuing on Sunday in Brooklyn, “SGA” and his teammates proved it again, with a second victory. authoritarian in 24 hours, this time by 14 points after a display of attack (124 points on 51% of shots).

The most prolific offense in the league over the past 11 games averaging 122.2 points scored, the Thunder posted a record 20 wins for 23 losses, tied for 11th place in the Western Conference, a victory over the Suns, 10th at 21-23, but also the Warriors, 6th at 21-21.

Trust and unity, the recipe for progress

” Players feed off each other’s energy appreciated a Mark Daigneault who asserted himself, like his group. ” This is a very strong, very strong form of trust. And it’s not just a belief inside, it’s a confidence they share and show on the pitch. »

With strong individual development, Josh Giddey shared his coach’s words, which instills better mental strength in players this season. ” Twelve months ago, we must have cracked “Advance the Australian, in reference to the “run” of the Bulls in the third quarter, profit from -14 to -1, which may have worried or weakened the Thunder. ” But tonight was different. We are ready to return to the battle. »

Simply put, confidence reigns inside OKC’s young locker room, and it shows on the floor, where the collective, carefree but united, is visibly thriving.

” Of course, men will keep an eye on the ranks Then Josh Giddey graduated, while qualifying for the “play-in”, or even directly for the playoffs through the Top 6, is no longer a very tasty scenario in Oklahoma. ” But we don’t talk about it much, at least not yet. There are still many games to play. But it’s definitely great to see our progress at this stage of the season, compared to last year. »