"Oklahoma City will be the No 1 seed in the bloodbath that is the NBA's Western Conference for the third consecutive year this season. The last time a team has accomplished this particular feat, three straight years atop their conference? That aforementioned Warriors outfit (in 2017)."
"Every team with this accomplishment finished with the ultimate accomplishment: an NBA championship. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, MVP frontrunner for the second consecutive year, also exists in rarefied air at the moment."
"If he does, he'd be the first to do it since LeBron James in 2012 and 2013. A big part of Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP case comes down to his hyperreliable efficiency, something of which even James himself has taken note."
The Oklahoma City Thunder enters the 2026 playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the third consecutive year. This achievement aligns them with historic teams like the Warriors, Celtics, Lakers, and Bulls, all of which won championships after similar successes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP frontrunner, could become the first player since LeBron James to win both league MVP and NBA Finals MVP in consecutive years, highlighting his exceptional efficiency and performance this season.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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