Thunder have become the youngest team, with an average age of 25.56, to reach the NBA Finals since the 1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers, who had an average age of 25.03.
The 13-year wait is over, the Oklahoma City Thunder are back in the NBA Finals after a dominant 124-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5, closing out the Western Conference Finals with a 4-1 series victory.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
38
|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | |
| Points | 34 |
| Accuracy | 14-25 |
| Rebounds | 7 |
| Assists | 8 |
In doing so, the Thunder have accomplished something the NBA hasn’t seen in nearly 50 years: they’ve become the youngest team to reach the Finals since the 1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers.
OKC’s roster boasts an average age of just 25.56 years, compared to Portland’s 25.03 during their championship season.
This remarkable achievement signals a bright future for the franchise. The Thunder are no longer a rising team, they’re already one of the top contenders in the Western Conference, and likely will be for years to come.
Now, they stand on the brink of history once again. Should they win it all, OKC would become the second-youngest NBA champion in the last 70 years.
Their Finals opponent is yet to be determined, but the Indiana Pacers currently hold a 3-1 lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
