The Oklahoma City Thunder are back in the NBA Finals! The team sealed their spot on Wednesday, after defeating Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fifth game of the Western Conference Finals.
In this decisive match, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team’s star and current NBA MVP, shone with 34 points.
With this 124-94 victory, the Thunder join a select group of teams. They are the third team to achieve multiple wins by more than 30 points in a playoff series, emulating the 2008 Boston Celtics and the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers, both NBA champions.
The last time the Thunder reached the NBA Finals was in 2012, after defeating Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs in six games. In that series, Kevin Durant averaged 29.5 points.
A Look Back: 2012 vs. Today
A lot has changed since 2012, both in the world and for the Oklahoma City franchise. Here’s a look back.
The era of the original “Big Three” of OKC
Before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, there was another “Big Three” chasing the same goal.
Kevin Durant, now a player for the Phoenix Suns, joined Russell Westbrook, current point guard for the Denver Nuggets, and James Harden, currently with the LA Clippers. This original trio led the franchise to record a 47-19 record in the 2011-12 regular season, averaging a combined 68.4 points.
On their way to the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in the first round. Then, they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games and the Spurs in six.
In the final, the “Big Three” of Oklahoma City faced the Miami Heat of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The Heat, with a combined average of 68.5 points on their way to the title, surpassed the 70 points of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden.
Oklahoma City won the first game, but lost the next four, and the Heat took the Larry O’Brien trophy, with LeBron James as Finals MVP.
Kevin Durant’s Acting Debut
Months after the defeat against the Heat, Kevin Durant’s first movie premiered.
In “Thunderstruck”, released in August 2012, Durant mysteriously swaps his skills with a student who idolized him. The young man becomes the star of his school’s basketball team, while Durant enters a slump.
The film grossed $587,211 worldwide in its 250 movie theaters.
Nicki Minaj conquers the rap world
Nicki Minaj, signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment label, topped the Billboard charts with her rap album “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.” The album, released on January 1, 2012, included the hit single “Beez in the Trap,” featuring 2 Chainz, and remained on the Billboard Top 100 for 25 weeks. “Pink Friday” won the Billboard Music Award for Best Rap Album in 2013.
Instagram expands beyond iOS
Instagram, a social media application for sharing photos and videos, was available for Apple products at its official launch in 2010. Over time, the application gained popularity, and Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock 18 months after its launch. Instagram made the application available in the Android app store in April 2012 after “working tirelessly” to make it compatible with Android.
