39 on 15/19 shooting for Kawhi. Very good! Clippers take game 2 in Denver. Neither team will win the title, but this is the most compelling round 1 matchup so far.

Tom Thibs after game 2 loss - "Obviously huge discrepancy in free throws," Thibodeau said. "Huge. I've got to take a look at that." 10 points from KAT. 12-27 shooting and 6 turnovers from Jalen Brunson. Lot to look at my guy!

Alex Ovechkin nets an overtime winner as Caps take Game 1 over Montreal. This old man’s gravy train season continues. A staggering Hockey Reference page.

Let me provide a cautionary tale of NBA analysis. Young KMARK distinctly remembers dismissing an up and coming NBA team from the Bay Area. Steph Curry had chronic ankle problems. Draymond Green was some undersized second round pick. 3pt shooting couldn’t win in the playoffs. The Warriors had no championship pedigree. Klay was always chill though.

Despite the historic advanced metrics, I was unconvinced. 4 titles later, yeah, I’ll admit the Warriors were/are pretty good. Big of me. I’ve come around. Growth.

It’s time to formally cash these learnings in with the Thunder. Sure, I’m a year too late, but you are too.

A rundown of data that supports our buying infinite stock in OKC:

- 68-14 record. 7th best all-time. Behind 3 teams from the 60s and 70s. Behind the KD/Steph Warriors and MJ Bulls. Only legendary teams with legendary players produced a better (fractionally) regular season than this crew.

- 12.93 points per game differential. That’s the highest of all-time. Yeesh.

- 106.9 defensive rating. Best in the league.

Does defense win championships? Could help to have the League’s best.

How did this happen and why is now Thunder Time? All championship teams take their lumps as they ascend into greatness. This Thunder group isn’t identical to the Bubble Thunder, but the holdovers of Shai and Lu Dort started this rise way back in 2020. Sprinkle in last year’s playoff seasoning, Isiah Hartenstein, the stability of Mark Daigenault, and you have enough experience to produce Title Tissue.

This roster is Sam Presti’s apex. Head man since 2007! He’s been one of the league’s top executives for almost two decades. In that time, he built incomplete rosters, whiffed on trades (Perk), and learned from mistakes. There is no holes in this roster. If you need one more reason to believe in this team, understand that 18 years of trying, learning, and tweaking rosters led to this. Sam Presti is no joke. He’s NBA Theo Epstein. You would have no hesitation believing in a Theo-led roster that had years to marinade. That’s what we’re looking at in OKC. The Thunder are the 2016 Cubs. Can Shai, Jalen Williams, Chet and Co, turn into Rizzo, Bryant, and Schwarber and lead this team over the mountain?