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Nikola Jokic closed out the ordeal against the Washington Wizards in a 126-123 loss, and it proved to be quite a disappointing game as he had a historic night, only to be upset and be overshadowed by Jordan Poole’s game-winning three in the dying seconds of the game. What’s worse is that it also has some serious implications on the Serbian’s odds for the MVP. It can be remembered that the Nuggets have split its back-to-back clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder just a few days back, and which means that the MVP race is just as it is considering how the Nuggets have been disappointing as of late. Jokic, for his own sake, has been impressive, but MVPs are related to winning, which just says a lot about how Jokic’s own case is quite shaky. With the Nuggets losing to the Wizards not just in the recent game, but the whole season series, it does seem that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may well be indeed on his way to win that MVP award that he should have won earlier. After all, the odds follow the same trend, and it is expected that it would even end up as a unanimous win. Losing to the Wizards The Wizards won its 15th game of the season in that thriller against the Nuggets. Jordan Poole took a shot from almost half court and drilled it with just a few ticks of a second left. Of course, one can argue that no one can do almost nothing on a game winner, but then, the Nuggets aren’t a losing team themselves. They are, in fact, one of the contenders in the Western Conference with a chance to vie for the second seed at best. So how did they find themselves on that spot? Alexandre Sarr, the second overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, didn’t really have a consistent season at all. The big man was averaging a meager 12.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game on 39.2% shooting from the field. For a big man, his shooting percentages are low, and being one of the lead scoring options for the Wizards isn’t being capitalized much. Sarr would go on to drop a career-high 34 points, six rebounds, and five assists – including 5-9 from three in that win against the Nuggets. It’s normal for a player to have a breakout game, but who was guarding him? Nikola Jokic. Defense wins games, and that isn’t exactly Jokic’s brand to begin with – but hey, Joker dropped 40 points on 16-30 shooting, including 13 rebounds and nine assists. It is a historic feat on top of so many massive stat lines that the Nuggets star has dropped for this season. But if it’s costing them winnable games – let alone against the worst team in the NBA right now? That’s not MVP-caliber. For comparison, OKC has defeated the Wizards twice, and dropped 27 and 41 points in those games, respectively. But what matters here is the win, against a tanking team that is being criticized for its lack of competitiveness. The MVP Odds As of the time of writing, it is no surprise that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still leads the MVP race with odds of -450 to Jokic’s +320. They are already way ahead of almost every single MVP candidate this season, and it just means that it is going down between the two stars as it did in the previous campaign – where Jokic won his third MVP. Jokic continues to be impressive on the season – he’s averaging a triple-double of 29.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists as of the time of writing. He’s also setting and shattering records that have been untouched for some time now, but so is SGA, which may be pivotal in what the race will look like in the final weeks.

For the 12th time since 2010, the Oklahoma City Thunder have captured its spot in the playoff stage, setting them as the team with the second-most playoff appearances in that span – trailing behind the Boston Celtics, which is the team they defeated last Wednesday to clinch the postseason. However, this just shadows what the Thunder has been able to achieve this season so far. It is shaping to be the best in franchise history and may well be on the pace for a whopping total of 70 wins, and it says a lot about how successful it has been for them now more than ever. That all came to fruition even in a season full of injuries to the team, and that’s just a massive thing to see. Sure, the Cleveland Cavaliers are breaking records too, but the Thunder have become really a dominant force in the Western Conference, and stand at 22-1 against the Eastern Conference – losing only once to the Cavs. Now more than ever, this is a landmark campaign for the Thunder, and one can expect to see more from the team as they try to run it back and finally win it all. A Massive Win Versus Boston The Thunder came into Boston coming off a 140-127 loss to the Denver Nuggets in their second night of a doubleheader. OKC rode into the road trip without one of its All-Stars Jalen Williams and a defensive stalwart in Alex Caruso. The Celtics, on the other hand, were missing the services of Kristaps Porzingis, but were riding on a five-game winning streak nevertheless. OKC and Boston battled it out for most of the game, and neither team was giving up a significant lead – at least until the second half when the Thunder turned up the ante and went on to shut down Boston’s three-point shooting, which helped them close out a massive victory on the road. That win allowed OKC to become the only Western Conference team to beat the Celtics twice, and the only team to sweep the season series against the defending champions. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an efficient MVP night of 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists on 11-20 shooting, but it cannot be denied that Chet Holmgren’s 23-point, 15-rebound night proved to be a pivotal factor in helping OKC set up a fantastic victory against a great team. What’s Next For OKC? OKC now continues its final road trip in the Eastern Conference, with showdowns against the red-hot Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks in the next two games before returning home. The Thunder is on the pace to break the 60-22 record set by the 2012-13 iteration of the team, and they still even have 16 games left to play in the season, which means they can also go for 70 wins. The Thunder have waited for quite some time to see yet another iteration of the team that can compete at this level, which says a lot about the consistency of the team. Now all the hope for the team is to keep up this level of play, and finally secure an NBA Finals appearance for the first time since 2012. Who knows, maybe the Oklahoma City Thunder will also get to score an NBA Finals win for the first time ever since moving to OKC. They do share the same history with the now defunct Seattle Supersonics, but one can say that since moving into Oklahoma since 2008, the Thunder has seen a better history than its predecessor so far.

After that tough loss to OKC yesterday, the Denver Nuggets got to lick their wounds back and delivered a massive 140-127 win to even the season series with the Oklahoma City Thunder at 2-2 to close out their final meeting of the season. The second leg of the MVP race proved to be Nikola Jokic’s game as he enjoyed his efficient night from start to finish. Jokic scored 35 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists on 15-20 shooting from the field and was able to come up with some impressive baskets despite having four fouls. It was the Denver supporting cast that proved to be pivotal in the win as they helped keep the non-Jokic minutes meaningful and hard for OKC to capitalize on. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped 40 points yesterday, only had 25 points and shot 57.1% from the field, including seven assists and two blocks. Isaiah Hartenstein had 20 points on 50% shooting, while Luguentz Dort drilled eight threes en route to 26 points – leading the Thunder in all scorers. A Fiery Second Half The second half was the thing that killed off Denver’s chances yesterday, and they made sure to take note of that as they narrowly shut down the Thunder’s groove as they dropped 34 and 39 points in the final two quarters while holding OKC to less than 30 points in each. Denver shot 12-17 from three in the second half, which is a huge contrast compared to OKC’s 9-25. Jamal Murray came alive in this stretch as well, scoring 18 points on 54% shooting, and finished with 34 points overall while playing the most minutes in the game at nearly 40. With SGA barely touching the ball in the second half, Denver made short work of the Thunder to pull away when they reached the hundred-point mark. All Denver starters also finished with double-figures, especially Russell Westbrook – who struggled hard yesterday but finished with 16 points, seven assists, and five rebounds on a promising 6-10 shooting from the field. Even Peyton Watson finished with 16 points off the bench and missed only one shot while hitting all four threes. All Denver players drilled at least one three in the win, except for Zeke Nnaji, who did not attempt a single field goal but was +9 in the game. The Nuggets only played a total of eight players in the game, which just means that they are already locked in for their playoff rotation so far. Struggle for the Thunder OKC shot 47% from the field, but they were 19-47 from three, including a disastrous 9-25 from downtown in the second half. It has been a rocky stretch for the team so far, and it cannot be denied that there are a lot of expectations with the way they played for most of the season. Chet Holmgren, who was the massive impact player yesterday, struggled to find his shot with just 3-11 shooting form the field and a meager eight points. Aaron Wiggins, who was blazing hot since February, was just 3-8 and didn’t really get on his groove on this double-header matinee. Jalen Williams, who flirted with a triple-double in yesterday’s win for OKC, played only 13 minutes and later walked to the locker room. He did not return for the rest of the game with an undisclosed injury, which definitely hampered the Thunder’s rotation – especially in the fourth quarter where he usually starts.

The Denver Nuggets started strong with a 10-0 run to begin their clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder, only to get decimated in the fourth quarter as OKC rallied to finish the game with a bang – winning by 24 points to cap off a majestic finish in a thrilling afternoon at the Paycom Center behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40-point game. Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t start strong exactly, and shot horribly from three at 2-10, but he did pour in when it mattered most – going perfect in the fourth with nine points on 4/4 shooting. He created opportunities whenever he drove to the basket, and found the open man at the right time. As the dust settled, SGA finished with 40 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three blocks – stuffing the stat sheet to take the win in the first leg of their back-to-back clashes in Oklahoma City. Nikola Jokic finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists – flirting close to a triple-double but was not efficient from the field as he was well-defended by OKC’s twin towers of 7-foot centers in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. It was a tight clash and many thought it would be neck-and-neck all the way to the final buzzer – until the Thunder pulled away when it mattered most. A Dominant Fourth for OKC After a slow start, OKC came to life and trailed 29-28 in by the end of the first quarter, then a 61-60 lead at halftime before taking an 86-80 lead heading into the fourth. However, OKC would go on to blitz the rest of the fourth, outsourcing the 2023 champions 41-23, which was capped off by a flurry of threes from Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort, who missed a dunk on a fast break before finally drilling a corner three with just four minutes left to play and extending a 112-99 lead. Jalen Williams was all over the court with 26 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, while also making his presence felt on the defensive end with two steals and a block. He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter alone including back-to-back threes, with the first one being a step back coming off a swing play by OKC. Another was an extra pass from Lu Dort, as he calmly drilled a three on the corner to make it a 125-103 lead for OKC with a minute left to play, which served as the dagger. Joker Struggling Despite finishing with another near-triple-double, Nikola Jokic didn’t really look like the same historic player who finished with the first 30-20-20 game in the NBA. In an MVP duel with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic failed to come up with his best shooting night, shooting 10-23 from the field and even shooting 2-6 from the line, which was fairly disappointing, 2-10 from three. Some blame the elbow that hit the floor hard in the first quarter, but then he played 41 minutes, which meant that it didn’t really bother him in a major way. What bothered the three-time MVP though was the presence of Holmgren and Hartenstein. Chet finished with +32 in the game and had 14 points on 6/10 shooting, eight rebounds and whopping four blocks despite being in foul trouble. Hartenstein was more of the body who took the fight to Jokic, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 5/6 from the field. OKC’s bench outscored its Denver counterpart, 31-14, and capitalized on points off turnovers with 15. The Thunder also surprisingly dominated the paint – 54-46 while leading by as many as 24 points. This was a defensive statement for OKC, who also comes off with its season-high 14 blocks.

Initially ruled to be a week or two out of action, Kyrie Irving is now deemed to be out for the rest of the 2024-25 NBA season after suffering a torn ACL – which now dooms the Dallas Mavericks’s hopes of making it to the playoffs following a very eventful set of weeks since the trade deadline. Irving, who was named an All-Star for the 2025 All-Star Game in San Francisco, now wraps up his season as he is now slated to recover from a torn ACL – which was one of the biggest injuries that can derail a point guard’s career. It seems that Dallas could not just catch a break as the team’s injury woes really took out their best players so far. Before he went out with an injury, Kyrie Irving averaged a whopping 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. He carried the load for the Mavericks for most of the season and had to come up with impressive performances as former Dallas star Luka Doncic missed a hefty number of games due to injury. Now the Mavs will turn to the rest of its roster for answers. Irving’s Season-Ending Injury Just nine minutes into the game, Irving was fouled by DeMar DeRozan on his way to the basket. The Dallas star’s right foot unfortunately landed on the foot of Kings center Jonas Valanciunas, which caused Irving to land awkwardly on his left leg and suddenly have his knee hyperextended before falling to the floor. At the age of 32, Irving demonstrated massive toughness and a glimpse of the “Mamba Mentality”, later getting back up but not being able to put on weight on his left knee. Irving would later go on to score both free throws with tears rolling down his cheeks before he finally left the game assisted by the medical staff of the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas would go on to lose the game against Sacramento, 122-98. The bench carried most of the load as the rest of the squad fell off their groove and did not have an answer to a Sabonis-less Kings. “The Dallas Mavericks announced yesterday that Kyrie Irving sustained a left knee sprain against the Kings on March 3,” The Mavericks later released in its social media platforms. “Upon further medical evaluation, an MRI revealed a torn left knee ACL for Irving. Irving will be listed as out with medical updates to follow as necessary.” A String of Tough Woes The injury to Irving continues the string of tough breaks for the Dallas Mavericks this season ever since trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers – whose team has now jumped out to the second seed in the Western Conference so far. The Mavericks, on the other hand, are slowly fading away after 10-time star Anthony Davis was injured in his debut and was out indefinitely. Irving’s injury is the biggest blow to their playoff hopes – considering that the Dallas Mavericks were just in the NBA Finals about a year ago. Still, the Dallas Mavericks are in the 10th seed, which means that they are still good for a Play-In spot had the playoffs begun today. Currently with odds of +6000, the odds are definitely taking a massive hit now more than ever, and it is certainly expected to plummet in the coming weeks as they are not improving their chances any time soon, especially with Irving now out for good.

The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to capture 50 wins this season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder followed suit on the other day. It seems that these two teams are continuing to be the driving power of competitive basketball – leading atop their respective conferences and moving toward the playoff scene. Being able to clinch the first playoff spot of the season is no easy feat for the Cavaliers, who have managed to stave off the defending champion Boston Celtics after being down as much as 22 points, which continues to bring them to the top of the league now more than ever. The Thunder, on the other hand, continue to put distance between them and the rest of the competition, and it is easy to say that the team continues to find ways to win, with the first half of the season massively focused on their defense, while this post All-Star Break run being able to emphasize more on their offense. Both teams won’t meet each other for the rest of the season, but there are indeed high hopes that we will see a seven-game series between these two teams – which would be the NBA Finals – should they both enjoy a deep run in the postseason. Cavaliers Locking Up the Eastern Conference The Cavs don’t really have any other key opponent to look out for other than the Boston Celtics – who, given the state of things should the playoffs begin today, would be their potential opponent in the postseason not until the Eastern Conference Finals. New York is a contender as well, but they haven’t won any games against the Celtics or the Cavaliers themselves. The Atlanta Hawks, however, have been the only team to defeat the Cavaliers twice this season aside from Boston, which seriously says a lot about how they could be a threat to Cleveland’s hopes considering that they are a potential Play-In opponent. The Cavaliers are making history this season. They are the first non-LeBron James version of this team to be able to reach 40 wins before 20 losses and be on the pace for 60 games in a season. Everything is starting to be great for the Cavaliers so far, and this season could continue to get even better with the campaign closing down on the final weeks now more than ever. Winning another set of 10 games in a row, the Cavaliers have really put in the work at this point in time, and they are certainly getting better push with the way they are playing right now, which should be quite promising with the way it has taken place over the course of the season not once, but twice. OKC on the Run The Thunder have the biggest gap (yes, bigger than the Cavs’) over any other team in the NBA with 10 ½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets for the top seed in the Western Conference. Sure, they have seen some tough stretches so far in some of their previous games, but the team is getting some impressive looks on the offensive end so far. Opening the season with the best defense in the league is a huge boon, but now their offense is showing off as the team now plays at full strength for the first time since November, which says a lot about how it has been really different for them late in the campaign. The Thunder now has nine 50-win seasons logged in the books, which is the most since the 2009-10 season. All signs point towards a deeper hope for a playoff run, and a championship at most.

After a few struggles in the past month, Jaylen Wells has made his presence felt in the Rookie of the Year race considering how well he has been a pivotal piece for the Memphis Grizzlies as they continue a massive climb in the wild Western Conference this season. Now he’s getting a huge boost to win the ROTY now more than ever heading into the final stretch. Everyone who has been tracking rookies this season knows that Jaylen Wells has been one of the highly dynamic talents in the game so far, and it cannot be denied that the Grizzlies have really benefitted well from his impressive game so far, which says a lot about how he has really made a strong case so far. Memphis is moving in on the upper echelon of the Western Conference and is steering well to be in a promising position to be at least the second or third seed by the end of the season. Wells, who is just a rookie – is playing a massive role in their rise to dominance now more than ever with the hopes of making it to the NBA Playoffs as well. Wells on the Rise In the past few weeks, Wells has posted a massive stat line of 15.5 points per game on 54.2% shooting from the field – including a whopping 44.8% from deep. That has put him on a steady chase for the top spot of the Rookie of the Year race so far, which has been held by San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle. Selected with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Wells was not expected to be an elite performer for Memphis at the very least, and it cannot be understated that he’s been a valuable player for the squad, even coming up with the consistent numbers and discipline that has set him apart from many rookies. “His discipline is the thing that has really stood out the most. He is having successful moments and growth moments, as well,” said Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins about Wells’ massive growth in just a short span of time. “When he makes a mistake, he really corrects it pretty quickly.” So far, this has been a landmark rise for Wells, one of the first round's low picks. His ascension to the ROTY race clearly delivers bigger heights for his potential now more than ever. Odds in the Talks Kel’El Ware surprisingly remains the hot pick among many sportsbooks to win the Rookie of the Year award, despite the Miami big having some marginal surge in his games so far with odds of +145. Stephon Castle ranks second in the odds with +325, while Jaylen Wells brings himself to the third spot with +450. Jaylen Wells has shown some promise, but his chances of winning the Rookie of the Year award this season will depend on many variables, such as his performances and how he adapts to putting up strong numbers when it matters most. So far, Wells is bringing himself close to the 50/40/90 shooting splits this season with 45.1% shooting, 38.2% from three, and 82.4% from the charity stripe. All of this will factor into his overall impact considering that he is playing heavy minutes in for Memphis at this point, which should help him combat Castle’s case, with the latter also slated for bigger exposure after Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

After that trade for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason, there were indeed high hopes that the New York Knicks would be finally bringing in a new dynamic group that could actually bring the fire against the best teams in the league. And despite being one of the hyped favorites to win, it just doesn’t seem to be the case so far. New York finished second in the Eastern Conference season with a 50-32 record for the first time in many years, only to drop to the Indiana Pacers in the East Semis. This season, they are 37-20 as of the time of writing, and it cannot be denied that the expectations are starting to mount up for the team with the season heading into its final stretch now more than ever. At this point, it does seem that the Knicks will have to grind through the next set of games with the hopes of elevating their game and bringing the fire for the team’s hopes of a huge playoff run now more than ever. Who knows, maybe they can do beat the odds after all. Are the Knicks a Fluke? New York has been one of the top teams in the league, and it cannot be denied that they have really found a way to win big when it mattered most. However, it is also worth noting that there are plenty of talks as to how the Knicks may well be just another team that will be challenging the best contenders in the league. That is, until you look at their stats against the best. They are 0-3 against the defending champions Boston Celtics, and all three losses are by double digits – and the Knicks have not scored more than 110 points. When it comes to the NBA’s leading team in the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are 0-2, with a recent beating on the road when they lost 142-105. Against the best of the West in the Oklahoma City Thunder? A whopping 0-2 record, and both losses came when OKC didn’t even play at full strength. This season, the Knicks are 3rd overall in offensive rating this season, and are 6th overall in net rating to go along with 5th in 3pt percentage. However, they rank a whopping 21st overall in the defensive rating at 115.3, which says a lot about how the Knicks are really in dire need of a huge improvement if they are going to win. It has been a promising campaign for the Knicks, but it seems that they will have to prove their worth on the big stage if they want to contend for a league title now more than ever. After all, the Eastern Conference is starting to be tight, and New York has to work it out well. The Odds for New York The Knicks stand fourth in the odds overall with +1400. The three teams ahead of them? The Cavaliers, Thunder, and the Celtics. This says a lot about how the expectations are real for the Knicks – they are 0-7 against the contending teams, which really proves that they aren’t really much ready to play against the big boys now more than ever. For what it is worth, the Knicks have been able to contend at a high level in the Eastern Conference, and they will have to find a way to bring the fight against the best when the playoffs begin in just a few months.

After what can be said to be a phenomenal run in just his second season with the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama is now out for the rest of the season due to a deep vein thrombosis and will no longer be eligible for any individual awards, including the Defensive Player of the Year – in which he was already the clear runaway winner at this point. Wembanyama looked fine in his debut in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, and yet the Spurs had to pull him out in their post-ASG run when they were about to play the Phoenix Suns. Wemby’s absence is a huge loss – as San Antonio was already gunning for a shot at a playoff spot, and it marks the second hit for the team after head coach Gregg Popovich has been ruled out for the rest of the season after he had a stroke last year. This condition was discovered when Wemby made his return to San Antonio after the All-Star Game. The Spurs were quick to announce his status, and it definitely shocked a lot of fans as it also puts the DPOY race now wide open than most people expected at this point. Wemby Out Wembanyama has been terrific this season so far, as the Frenchman averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game – and he’s been at the top of the DPOY race thanks to his antics, and it cannot be denied that his presence in the MVP race even makes this really a great season for him so far. With Wembanyama leading the way, the Spurs were just three wins away from being in the Play-In Tournament slots in the Western Conference. This injury does not help them well at all, and being diagnosed with DVT is not an ideal look so far. Athletes who are involved with contact sports are typically advised to avoid using such medication because of the heightened chance of bleeding. This isn’t new among athletes over the years, and it this is why the Spurs remain confident about his status for recovery considering that he’s still young and really has a lot of potential in the game at this point in time. The DPOY Odds on Disarray With Wembanyama now out of the picture for good, one can say that the race for the DPOY has just been disrupted at a high level and has been on a massive disarray now more than ever. Jaren Jackson Jr., who was also a star this season, is now leading the odds at -125, and followed by Evan Mobley at +105. However, there are talks as to how Luguentz Dort would be now on the rise considering that he is the best defensive player in the best defensive team in the league. Oklahoma City has always had him on every best player, night in and night out. Dort currently stands at +1200 in the odds for the DPOY. What’s interesting is that Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City’s two stars for this season, have also been around the DPOY odds next to Dort, and it seems that this is quite a promising note for OKC considering how these two stars have been phenomenal two-way players in their own right. So far, Wembanyama’s injury is affecting a lot of things in the league – and it goes to show how his presence in the NBA is quite special, and fans would be keen to see him get back into action soon.

Selected as an All-Star for the first time in 2025, winning the three-point shootout, it seems that the stars are aligning for Tyler Herro at this point. And believe it or not, it is all lining up for him to improve his odds in the Most Improved Player Award for this season with the Miami Heat. At the age of 25, this is the perfect time for Herro to step up his game to another level, and one can say that he is surely making the most of his chances so far with the way he is playing right now, and that says a lot about how he is expected to continue making big strides now more than ever as he has jumped out into a promising star status at this point. Herro has been the focal point of the Miami Heat this season. With the Jimmy Butler trade now past them, the star guard now takes on a bigger role with the team and is showing out to be an elite performer to watch for years to come as he approaches his new status as the face of the Heat Culture moving forward. A Strong Season So Far Since joining the Heat, Herro has been a pivotal performer for Miami and has been on a huge tear. The guard is averaging career-highs this season with 23.9 points on 46.5% shooting from the field to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists so far, and it cannot be denied that he has ramped up his production ever since.  For the first time in his career, Herro is now logging more than 35 minutes per contest, which is the most in the team this season so far aside from Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler before the latter’s trade to the Golden State Warriors. The Heat brought in Andrew Wiggins in exchange, and now the reins of the team seemed to have fallen to the hands of Herro now more than ever. The Heat sit ninth in the Eastern Conference in what has been quite a turbulent season for one of the top contenders in the league. They currently have a 25-28 record – just a few wins below the .500 mark. It does seem that Herro’s case for the MIP will need to come up with a few improvements – to make a deep point that he can actually be a leader in his team at this point. The Heat ended the pre-ASG schedule on a four-game skid, and one can say that Herro is still adjusting to the notion that he is now expected to be the future of the team, and that’s when the second half of the season comes into play as he is now seeking his chance to prove his worth in the long run. An MIP Favorite? Well, no. Tyler Herro isn’t the favorite to win it all in the race for the Most Improved Player award this season. Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham has been the heavy pick to win at -105 so far considering how well he has led his team to an unexpected and winning campaign so far after years of depressive losses. Norman Powell comes in second in the race at +105 after his significant contributions to the resurgence of the Los Angeles Clippers in a season where they were expected to be tanking already. Herro stands at third after a drastic climb in 2025, now his odds standing at +1500. That is not much enough to win it all, but fans expect him to ride all the way to the top as he now brings his game with the Heat on another level.

OKC missed out on a chance to become the third team to enter the All-Star Break with only a single-digit loss after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves before the break. Now with 66% of the season already through, the home stretch finally begins and the Thunder hope to make the most of its chances to secure a top finish in the NBA. With a 44-10 record, the Thunder enters as a hot pick to win it all with their impressive pace so far. OKC has topped the Western Conference for quite a long time now, and they are eight games ahead of the second-place Memphis Grizzlies, which just shows how far they are from the rest of the competition – and how well they are doing as a whole. OKC has become a contender to watch in just a short span of time, and it cannot be denied that the Thunder are making a strong pace to finish as a league-leading team to wager on heading into the playoffs. Now more than ever, there are high expectations of Oklahoma City’s rise to prominence. A Thunderous Surge OKC’s rise to the game hasn’t been much precedented over the years. Three years ago, the Thunder were on its second-worst season ever in a row with a 24-58 record, still in the middle of a rebuild. In just a short span of time, OKC has turned it all around and is on the pace to become the back-to-back 1st seed in the Western Conference after finishing 57-25 last season. This is the first time in history that the Thunder is on the pace for a 68-14 record at the very least. The best finish for the Thunder has been at 60-22, which was in 2012-13, and that hasn’t been matched since then, with OKC coming up close to that mark last season, but fell short by three wins. OKC has outscored its opponents by an average of 12.9 points per game, which is the best differential in the history of the game – and it also tops the mark of the 1971-72 Lakers who had a winning differential of +12.3 per game back then. Despite the 15-point loss to the Timberwolves last week, The Thunder remain the only team not to lose by at least 20 points. It is also worth noting that OKC’s comeback culture is also starting to make its return. Comebacks have been a trademark of the Thunder over the years since the Kevin Durant era – the ability to withstand massive deficits and win the game is never an easy feat. But OKC stands at 12-7 in the games where they have trailed by double-digits, which is the best record in games down by 10 points in the last 29 seasons. What’s Next for OKC? The Thunder are set to enter Week 18 in a clash on the road against the Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves. They will be playing five of their first six post-break games on the road, which says a lot about how tough the challenge will be for OKC moving forward. Still, the Thunder are the best team in the league, and the return of Chet Holmgren has been a brief adjustment period for the team – but it is highlighting a bright future for the team now more than ever. It is a sign of scary things to come considering that the Thunder has been stable even with a lot of injuries bothering the squad as a whole.