Kevin Durant leads OKC to the NBA Finals

It has been an amazing playoff run so far for the Oklahoma City Thunder, with the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the team to the NBA Finals. OKC has gone through a who’s who of Western Conference opponents, defeating the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs on the way to the Finals. Those franchises have won 10 of the last 13 NBA Championships, but Scott Brooks’ team has forced an out with the old, in with the new dynamic in the Western Conference. The Thunder are 12-3 in the postseason, and they are undefeated at the rockin’ Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Boston Celtics have a chance to close out the Miami Heat tonight, as OKC awaits its next foe. It’s easy to see why the Thunder have become so successful — nailing their draft picks when selecting in the top 10. While the franchise was in turmoil during the last couple of years in Seattle, the players acquired during that time have been elite. OKC’s first picks in 2007 (Durant), 2008 (Westbrook) and 2009 (James Harden) have produced the team’s three leading scorers. The franchise also got center Serge Ibaka with the second of two first-round selections in 2008, and he has been a force in the middle defensively. With valuable contributions from role players like postseason veteran Derek Fisher, Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins, it’s easy to see why the Oklahoma City Thunder will be a tough out for either the Celtics or Heat.