OKC Thunder Beginning to Stabilize Again as Postseason Approaches

The NBA Playoffs are rapidly approaching.

The regular season ends on April 12, with the Play-In Tournament to follow. After the final two playoff seeds are determined, the playoffs will begin as Oklahoma City looks to defend its NBA title.

Despite the regular season finale being less than a month away, just one team has clenched a spot among the top six seeds in its conference thus far. On Tuesday night, Oklahoma City defeated the Orlando Magic 113-108, improving to 54-15 on the season and securing a playoff spot.

OKC's victory extended the team's winning streak to nine games, the longest streak in the Western Conference and second longest in the NBA behind the Atlanta Hawks, who have notched 10 consecutive wins.

The Thunder seem to be peaking once again, and at the right time. The group's last six wins have come against teams who are currently in the playoff field.

Oklahoma City finding its rhythm again ahead of the playoffs was crucial for Mark Daigneault's squad, who has had a few hiccups this season. After starting the 2025-26 campaign with a historic 24-1 record, the team went 21-14 over its next 35 contests.

While OKC's stretch wasn't terrible, the team only lost 14 contests throughout the entire 2024-25 season. Injuries and a packed schedule filled with strong oppontents led to some of the Thunder's struggles, as Ajay Mitchell, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jalen Williams have all missed significant portions of the year.

Additionally, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a stretch before the All-Star Break, which contributed to a few losses as well. With the regular season coming to a close, though, the Thunder are once again competing at a high level, knocking off Denver, Minnesota, Boston and New York in the past three weeks.

A major catalyst for the team's nine-game win streak has been the return of Mitchell and Hartenstein, as well as the addition of Jared McCain. McCain has been a solid piece of OKC's bench, averaging 11.4 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 46.4% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range in his first 16 contests with the Thunder.

While Jalen Williams has yet to return after injuring his hamsting, the Thunder are finally healthy otherwise. Of course, Williams is a major piece missing from Oklahoma City's lineup, but the All-NBA wing has already been sidelined for more than a month and could return before the postseason begins.

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