OKC Thunder Keeping Perfect Postseason is About More Than Just an Accolade

OKC is looking for its second consecutive series sweep on Monday night against the Lakers.

May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8), forward Jaylin Williams (6) celebrate with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) after a basket in the second half of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

There seems to be no end to the dominant stretch the Oklahoma City Thunder are on. 

OKC is currently tearing through the Western Conference Playoffs, as it is 7-0, and is looking to pull off its second sweep of the postseason on Monday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. It has seemed as though no game has been a challenge for the Thunder, only winning by less than double digits in one bout. 

The milestone that Oklahoma City is reaching for is a rare one, as no team has done it since the 2017 playoffs. In 2017, both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors achieved this milestone, and the Warriors would go on to be 15-0 before finally losing Game 4 of the NBA Finals. 

While this win will put the 2026 Thunder squad in elite company, there is more riding on this win than just their name in the history books. 

Oklahoma City is well ahead of schedule compared to whoever they will end up playing in the next round, and could benefit from it greatly. If OKC finishes out the series as planned, they will face the winner of the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spurs and Timberwolves are currently at a stalemate in the series, tied at two games apiece. A win Monday night will give the Thunder a considerable advantage against whichever team pulls out the series win, in a series that is already guaranteed to go to six games. 

The biggest advantage that it could give the Thunder would be more rest for their players, and the potential of Jalen Williams returning. Williams went down in Game 2 with a strained hamstring and has not returned to the hardwood since. Oklahoma City has done just fine without him, as players like Ajay Mitchell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have stepped up in his absence, but the Thunder will need to be at full strength for the Western Conference Finals. 

Williams was averaging 20.5 points per game in the postseason before he was sidelined, and adding his abilities back into the lineup would only add fuel to the fire for Oklahoma City. 

The Thunder have shown that they have no problem dealing with the Lakers and have a very good chance to end the series on Monday night. This won’t only be another showcase of the incredible run OKC is on, but it will also give its players the chance to be at full health for an even bigger stage.