Through an injury-rocked season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have hung tougher than any team in the league. Reigning NBA MVP, Kevin Durant, has missed the majority of the season only to see his teammate, Russell Westbrook, step into an identical role.
Westbrook has made-and continues to make-his case for this season's Most Valuable Player. He now has a league-high 10 triple-doubles this season and has single-handedly brought the Thunder back to playoff contention. Unfortunately, he lost another teammate to inury, with Serge Ibaka likely sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. Durant has been ruled out indefinitely, making the playoff hunt a tall mountain to climb. Nonetheless, Westbrook continues to perform at a high level and the Thunder are clinging to the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Having won three straight games and seven of their last ten, Scott Brooks' squad now has a three-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns for the final playoff spot in the West, with the Dallas Mavericks fighting to maintain the seventh spot. After the moves they made at the trade deadline, the Suns are the least likely of the three teams to make the playoffs. But the Pelicans have now bumped the Thunder out several times since Anthony Davis has returned to the court.
The Thunder, Pelicans, and Suns all have difficult schedules to end the regular season. The Suns have the highest incline on the uphill battle, while the Pelicans arguably have the easiest group of opponents. As for the Thunder, six of their final 12 games are at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, where they have one of the best home records in the league at 26-9 on the season. Seven of their final 12 games are against teams above .500, most of which are top teams in the Western Conference such as the San Antonio Spurs, whom they will play twice. Without Ibaka, the Thunder will be praying for more triple-doubles out of Westbrook and near perfect performances from Enes Kanter, Dion Waiters, and Steven Adams.
The acquisition of Kanter at the deadline will prove to be crucial in dictating the outcome of the Thunder's season. Ibaka is expected to be back right around the time playoffs start, but the combination of Kanter and Adams will be required to fill the void in the meantime. Kanter is averaging 17.2 points and 10.5 rebounds and has played great since his arrival in Oklahoma City. Even without two of their top three players, the Thunder are in great position to reach the playoffs, courtesy of a deep bench. Players such as Jeremy Lamb, Anthony Morrow, Nick Collison, and D.J. Augustin will also need to elevate their games to help stave off the Pelicans push.
Plagued by injuries throughout the season, the Thunder deserve props for hanging tough among the NBA's powerhouses. With an overall record of 40-30, the second-best team in the Northwest Division is on everyone's radar to snag the final playoff spot in the West. If they can continue their latest success, the Thunder will be able to set their sights on a first-round matchup against the Golden State Warriors, with the hopes of Serge Ibaka and (maybe) Kevin Durant returning to the lineup just in time.