NBA Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder Can’t Afford to Look Past Any Team the Rest of the Season

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Mark D. Smith - USA TODAY Sports

Mark D. Smith – USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, although they did not have the services of Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook struggled for most of the night. Luckily, their bench was able to step up and play a great game, while Serge Ibaka was a monster on the boards. This was a big win for the Thunder coming off of a back-to-back in which they had already lost the first game on Sunday.

The Thunder struggled early in the season as they had to play games without their stars in Durant and Westbrook. Playing in the Western Conference, they quickly fell behind, and it was unclear when they would get both of their stars back. Now they are playing catch-up in a conference with 10 teams over the .500 mark.

When the Thunder are healthy, they are still an elite, championship-contending team that no one wants to face in the playoffs. They have two superstars in Durant and Westbrook, as well as one of the top defenders in Ibaka. They have built a strong bench through draft picks and trades, but their window may be closing faster than they think if they do not win soon. There is always the chance that one of their superstars will leave, so they need to take advantage of this opportunity while they can.

The Thunder have clearly dug themselves a hole, but with the majority of their roster healthy again, they should make a run at one of the last playoff spots in the West. With the way the teams ahead of them are playing, it will be tough as they are already a couple of games back and have little margin for error.

Due to how they started the season, and considering, again, that they play in the West, they need to treat every game like a must-win opportunity, as they did tonight against the lowly T-Wolves. The Thunder are still talented enough to be able to win a majority of their games, but with half the season already over, they will need every win possible the rest of the way.

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