Oklahoma City’s path back to the top of the West starts with the games it already knows best.
The Thunder have spent the last two seasons looking like the NBA’s standard-bearer, finishing with the league’s best record in each of those years. And while that kind of dominance shows up in plenty of places, one of the quieter advantages has been how firmly they’ve handled Northwest Division opponents.
That matters because these aren’t one-off meetings. Oklahoma City sees each division rival four times every season, and those nights have become a steady source of wins. Last year, the Thunder went 12-4 against the division, sweeping Utah, dropping one game each to Denver and Portland, and splitting with Minnesota.
Even that record comes with a little asterisk. One of the Denver losses came in the penultimate game of the regular season, when the Thunder had incentive to lose. That means Oklahoma City was really only beaten three times in 15 meaningful divisional matchups.
There’s no shortcut around the numbers here: those games make up about 20% of the schedule, and they’re only getting harder. Each Northwest team has a real shot at the postseason this year, which raises the pressure on every meeting.
The division itself looks like one of the toughest in the league, and if Oklahoma City keeps owning those games, it can set itself up for another run at the No. 1 seed. Division titles may not carry the same weight they once did in the modern NBA, but the best teams still tend to win them, and these matchups tend to turn into rivalries simply because everybody knows everybody so well.
That familiarity could pay off again if the Thunder end up crossing paths with a Northwest opponent in the playoffs. They already had to get through Denver and Minnesota during their 2025 title run, so there’s clear value in handling those teams cleanly during the regular season, too.
Of course, the bigger picture still runs through the whole league. Oklahoma City will have to keep stacking wins everywhere, especially with San Antonio in the race for the No. 1 seed. But the Northwest remains a logical place to set the tone.
The Thunder’s real test will always be the postseason. Still, another Northwest Division banner should be right there on the checklist when the season begins.
In Other News...
Thunder Win Took A Backseat To One Disturbing Rookie Injury
The Thunders preseason win over the Pacers came with an uneasy moment late in overtime, when Otega Oweh went down after planting his right foot and collapsed, then had to leave the game with a right ankle injury. He did not return, and even in the setting of an exhibition game, the scene was hard to ignore given how quickly a routine play turned serious.
Mark Daigneault and teammate Brooks Barnhizer both addressed the situation afterward, but the bigger concern is the uncertainty around the injury itself. There was immediate worry it could involve the Achilles, and until the team provides a formal diagnosis, Oklahoma City is left waiting on one of the more unsettling injury stories of the preseason. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Face A Thomas Sorber Decision That Could Help Everyone
Aday Maras strong preseason has given the Thunder another useful look at the middle of the roster, and it has also made the picture a little tighter for Thomas Sorber. For Oklahoma City, that is not necessarily a bad problem. The team has built its success around depth and flexibility, and with Sorber still trying to make up for the year he lost to injury, the center rotation now has several names in front of him.
Sorbers situation is the kind front offices watch closely this time of year, because a player buried on the depth chart can sometimes find a clearer path elsewhere. If Oklahoma City decides a move makes sense, it could turn that logjam into future assets or even help fill another need at a different position. The Thunder do not have to rush anything, but this is the sort of roster decision that can quietly shape both Sorbers development and the next step of the teams bigger plan. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder May Have A Real Roster Decision After Zhaire Smith Flash
Zhaire Smith has gone from a name many around the league had filed away to a real part of Oklahoma Citys roster conversation after the Thunder brought him onto the training camp group. The former 76ers first-round pick earned that look with his work for the OKC Blue and his showing in Summer League, then backed it up with a strong preseason game appearance that gave the organization something more concrete to consider.
The Thunder still have an open roster spot, which means the decision is more than just a courtesy camp invite at this point. Smith could land a standard deal or a two-way contract, but there is also a path where he simply keeps working with the Blue if Oklahoma City decides to wait, leaving one of the more interesting back-end roster questions hanging as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]