The Thunder nearly achieved NBA Cup glory, but they will now face the punishment for making it to the championship. After Oklahoma City lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 97-81 in Vegas on Tuesday, the league had zero games on Wednesday.

It was the Thunder's worst offensive performance. They struggled to get to 81 points. Nonetheless, the 83rd game doesn't affect the standings, so no harm, no foul. The league has decorated the NBA Cup as a prestigious event. ESPN hosted a pregame show that included Stephen A. Smith on the panel.

Stephen A. Smith is backing OKC to erode a 13-year long absence from the NBA Finals and win the Western Conference in 2025.

As dominant as the Oklahoma City Thunder has been in the first quarter of the 2024-25 season, one might've expected a better showing than what it gave in the NB

Everything seems to be falling into place for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder this season. With the end of the year fast approaching, the Thunder (20-5) are leading the Western Conference standings.