5 reasons the Oklahoma City Thunder can win the NBA Championship

BROOKLYN, NY - DECEMBER 05: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Russell Westbrook #0 and Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on December 5, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Thunder defeated the Nets 114-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

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The Thunder have been slipping as the regular season winds down but they still have everything they need for a historic playoff run.

The Oklahoma City Thunder seem a bit stuck right now. They have two of the best players in the NBA and are clearly good enough to make the playoffs and give opponents fits, but do not appear to be true contenders for the championship. They have been eliminated in the first round two years in a row and are truly desperate to show that they can succeed in the postseason, hoping to shock the world and take home the title this June. If you’re a Thunder fan looking for reasons to believe that could happen, here are five of them.

5. The tightness of the Western Conference

While the Thunder are likely to finish as the seventh or eight seed, the separation between them and their first-round opponent is also likely to be just a handful of games due to how close the top eight teams have been all season. Their low seeding is more indicative of an ill-timed late-season slump than of their actual talent level or potential, making them a team that no other would relish facing in the opening round. Apart from the Warriors being upset, it’s truly hard to think of a first-round result in the West that could be considered honestly shocking making pretty much every other series wide open as a result.

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