Dean Blevins: Cataclysmic Loss or Just Life in the NBA? Thunder face crucial test after collapse

Following a historic loss to the undermanned Minnesota T-Wolves, Dean Blevins analyzes whether the Oklahoma City Thunder's collapse is a significant setback for a championship-aspiring team or simply part of the NBA's 82-game grind, emphasizing the need for reflection and improvement as they head into the final stretch of the season.

Tuesday, February 25th 2025, 10:43 am

By: Dean Blevins

With the dawn of a new morn in 405, we’ve observed a record-shattering amount of gnashing of teeth coming in from Big Blue Nation—the result of Monday night’s Thunder loss in historic fashion to the short-handed Minnesota T-Wolves.

The $64 thousand question looms: Is this a big deal for a championship-aspiring team? Or just life in the 82-game-a-year NBA?

The answer will reveal itself in the final 25 games of the regular season. But you can bet your Big Blue Fight Fight Fight bumper sticker that the problem is being attacked as if the first NBA Championship is on the line—because it is.

When a title favorite that’s rocking along at a potentially historic pace disintegrates into blowing a 25-point lead – including a 22-point fourth-quarter advantage – in a meaningful game to a meaningful opponent, a lot of soul searching is required.

Yes, OKC’s second-best player and a true difference maker, Chet Holmgren, is sitting on the second night of a back-to-back, which weakens the collective. However, the feisty opponents from the Northern Hinterlands were without nameworthy bigs Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle.

The third-quarter loss of 7-1 center Isaiah Hartenstein factored into the Thunder’s submissive behavior. But there is no excuse for this kind of colossal failure.

More to the point was J-Dub’s postgame summation: “We just stopped playing.” And so did Minnie superstar Ant Man, who was benched late after being held to 17 points on 5 of 15 shooting. Think about that.

Besides lack of focus and effort, this basketball psychic has no other concrete answers. We’ll leave that in the more than capable hands of Mark Daignault & Co.

My hunch is that this amazing group of twelve will respond to Einstein’s instructions and be better prepared for it. But having this happen more than once is concerning.

Cataclysmic? Or life in the NBA? Like most things in this life on planet Earth, it’s somewhere in the middle. And seeing how the Thunder responds – beginning at 5:30 p.m. CST in Brooklyn will give us our first glimpse.

Thanks for checking in,

Your humble retiring in 125-days reporter,

Dean Blevins