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Oklahoma City Thunder · Keeping a hunted gaze on the No. 1 seed throughout the lion’s share of the 2023-24 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder, despite undeniable results, remained inevitably subject to some doubt, regarding their ability to translate it into the jungle that was the Western Conference playoffs. More than a month away from being able to prove it on the heightened stage, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder adjusted their regular-season binoculars to doing the next best thing: knocking the already-proven alphas from the food chain one-by-one. Even with Devin Booker absent from the Phoenix Suns’ rotation, Oklahoma City found that challenges weren’t, seeing their 24-point lead turn into a late, five-point deficit. Looking into the mirror and seeing the team with the NBA’s third-most clutch wins (24), the Thunder’s late-game execution reflected as such, with Gilgeous-Alexander — predictably paving the way with 35 points — and the Thunder’s other four starters awakening in time for a signature victory. Tilting the scales with 31 points off turnovers and a cleanly-played game themselves, the Thunder survived Jusuf Nurkić’s 31-rebound game and Phoenix’s late rally to inch closer to the top of the Wild West’s 82-game throne. · State of Mint