Heading into the NBA Playoffs, some fans were skeptical on whether or not the young Oklahoma City Thunder squad can overcome jitters and move on to the next round.
Four games later and OKC proved that they are indeed a team to be taken seriously in the post-season.
In a tightly-contested Game 4 against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Thunder showed off their composure as they catapulted a late-game run to seal the series sweep.
The victory marked OKC’s first series victory since 2016 and their initial sweep since 2012.
In the win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 24 points and nine rebounds. Jalen Williams contributed 24 points, with 11 of them coming in the fourth quarter, along with eight rebounds, while Josh Giddey added 14 points, hitting all four of his 3-pointers in the final quarter to fuel the decisive push alongside Williams.
For newly-hailed Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault, the series victory once again showed how the Thunder are more than just a young squad brimming with potential.
"There's a difference between age and maturity and we have a mature team, we have a committed team,” Daigneault said during the post-game press conference.
“I think a lot of times the age of the team, you can make assumptions about the state the players are in their careers but I’ve said all along, we have an uncommon group of people and players and I think that’s a huge reason why we’re able to accomplish some of these things,” he added.
Williams likewise emphasized the team’s mental fortitude to avoid being distracted by the noise.
“We haven't used that excuse [being a young squad] all year. We didn't use it last year, it's kind of just another thing for us not to think about, so it's kind of been brought up,” said Williams.
“At the end of the day, it's just basketball and we're coming to compete regardless of how old we are and things like that. I don't think we pay it too much attention to be the youngest to do that, it's just more about how can we get better throughout each experience that we have,” he added.
The Thunder will progress to the second round, where they'll face the victor of the Los Angeles Clippers-Dallas Mavericks series.
With the series deadlocked at 2-2 going into Thursday’s Game 5, OKC will get to rest up and prepare several days before the next series commences.
