Crashing the Boards: Will Thunder be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference?
WATCH FOR MORE STORMS AND YOU’RE UP TO DATE ON YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST. GUYS OVER TO YOU. EVERYBODY. WELCOME INTO THE SHOW. TONIGHT I’M BRYAN KEATING ALONGSIDE DYLAN BUCKINGHAM. HI. HELLO. I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS SO I’M GOING TO DO IT REAL FAST. DO IT MAN. COME ON. IT’S AWESOME. HI EVERYBODY. WELCOME INTO THE SHOW. FIRST TIME ON CRASHING THE BOARDS. I KNOW, I’M EXCITED. THIS IS SO FUN. WE’RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME. WE GOT PLENTY OF GOOD STUFF TO TALK ABOUT. TALKING ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER. OBVIOUSLY WE’LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND. WE GOT A LITTLE COLLEGE HOOPS. OKLAHOMA. WE GOT OKLAHOMA GYMNASTICS, MEN’S AND WOMEN’S. THEY KEEP ON WINNING. BUT I LED WITH THE STAR. WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER ON THEIR WAY TO WHAT THEY HOPE IS A BACK TO BACK NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. NOW FIRST THEY’RE TRYING TO WIN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE TONIGHT. THEY WERE AT HOME AGAINST THE UTAH JAZZ. THE TEAM NOT TRYING TO WIN. OH BY THE WAY THE THUNDER WERE A 24.5 POINT FAVORITE. AND THEY WON BY MORE THAN EIGHT. CHET HOLMGREN WAS AWESOME. HE’S BEEN REALLY GOOD HERE RECENTLY AT 21 POINTS SGA. WE WEREN’T SURE IF HE WAS GOING TO GET HIS 20. HE DID THUNDER WIN AT 146 TO 111. SO DYLAN FOR THE FIRST TIME ON CRASHING THE BOARD I SEND IT TO YOU FIRST. WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT OKC IN THEIR QUEST TO HOLD DOWN THAT TOP SPOT IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE? I MEAN, THIS IS THAT TIME OF YEAR. THIS IS WHAT THEY DO AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. I MEAN, IT’S KIND OF WEIRD. YOU LOOK BACK TO LAST YEAR, THEY WIN THE NBA FINALS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR OKLAHOMA CITY. A BEAUTIFUL SITUATION RIGHT. WELL THIS YEAR I THINK THEY KIND OF HAD SOME INJURIES THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH AS THEY WENT THROUGH THE SEASON, WHICH IS EXPECTED DURING AN 82 GAME REGULAR SEASON. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT’S ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE I FEEL LIKE THEY SORT OF KNOW WHEN TO TURN IT ON NOW. THEY GREW UP A LOT LAST YEAR, AND I KNOW THE THUNDER ARE ABSOLUTELY STICKLERS ABOUT MAKING SURE THEY’RE GROWING IN EVERY SITUATION THEY HAVE, AND THAT INCLUDES BEING CHAMPIONS. SO I’M JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND WRITE THIS DOWN REAL FAST AND JUST PUT AND SORRY, MY PENMANSHIP IS TERRIBLE. THIS IS WHY I TALK AND DON’T WRITE FOR A LIVING. BUT I’M GOING TO SAY DUH, DUH DUH. AND THAT’S I CAN’T SPELL REALLY WELL EITHER AND DOES KIND OF EASY. SO I’M GONNA GO WITH THAT AND SAY DUH. I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO THIS TIME OF YEAR. THEY’VE WON 17 OF 18 GAMES. THE ONLY LOSS THEY’VE SUFFERED DURING THAT STRETCH IS AGAINST THE BOSTON CELTICS, WHO MANY ARE SAYING, I KNOW. LISTEN, I KNOW DETROIT’S GREAT. I KNOW CADE CUNNINGHAM IS AWESOME. GOT TO GET THAT ONE RIGHT. BUT ONCE THAT HAPPENS IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE WHO COMES OUT OF THE EAST AND WHO THE THUNDER IS. I THINK THE THUNDER ARE THE FAVORITES. SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO ABOUT SAN ANTONIO. TO ME, OKLAHOMA CITY IS THE FAVORITE. THEY’VE LEARNED A LOT FROM LAST YEAR IN THOSE SITUATIONS. THUNDER TALK ABOUT. AND I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO PRIME THEMSELVES TO MAKE ANOTHER RUN. I AGREE BOSTON IS AWESOME BY THE WAY. THEY’RE PLAYING GREAT. I LOVE THE WAY THAT THEY PLAY. BUT I THINK WATCHING THIS THUNDER TEAM, WATCHING THEM PLAY SINCE THE ALL STAR BREAK, THEY’VE WON 16 OF 17, WHICH IS REMARKABLE I THINK FOR THE REST OF THE NBA. HERE COMES THE HORROR SHOW. I THINK THE HORROR SHOW IS COMING FOR OKLAHOMA CITY. IS THAT ONE AROUND HERE COMES. THAT’S GOOD PENMANSHIP. IT’S A COMPLETE SENTENCE. AND IT’S. I MEAN, LOOK AT YOU. THAT’S SO AWESOME. WRITING TOO. SOMETHING TO WORK UP TO. I TALK THAT MUCH. NO. I’M SORRY. HERE COMES THE HORROR SHOW. AND THAT HORROR SHOW IS SHEA GILDAS. ALEXANDER. AND IT’S JALEN WILLIAMS NOW HEALTHY. I THINK THEY’RE JUST THEY’RE TERRIFYING. I THINK TO EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE NBA, IT’S EASY TO TALK ABOUT OKLAHOMA CITY. S T A AND THE FOUL THING AND OTHERS. ALL REASONS TO DOUBT WHATEVER. THIS IS NOT THE TIME OF YEAR TO DOUBT THIS TEAM BECAUSE THEY LOOK RESTED, THEY LOOK HEALTHY, AND THEY LOOK READY TO GO. AND I THINK IF EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE NBA, YOU OUGHT TO BE A LITTLE BIT AFRAID OF THIS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER TEAM. HERE’S WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU, BECAUSE I LOVE TO ASK THIS TO THUNDER PEOPLE WHO SEE THE TEAM EVERY DAY. WHAT’S SOMETHING THAT YOU WORRY ABOUT WITH THIS SQUAD? BECAUSE I HAVE ONE THING THAT WAS, I DON’T WANT TO SAY SHOWED ITSELF. AND I MEAN, ASIDE FROM INJURIES TO. SURE. ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THIS SQUAD WITH. THEY CAN GO THROUGH TIMES WHERE THEY DON’T SHOOT THE BALL REALLY WELL AND TEAMS ARE GOING TO TRY TO FORCE LOU DALTON TO SHOOT A BUNCH OF THREES AND OTHER GUYS TO SHOOT A BUNCH OF THREES. I JUST THINK THEY HAVE THE GREATEST MARGIN FOR ERROR IN THE LEAGUE. THEY CAN BEAT YOU DEFENSIVELY. THEY CAN SHOOT THE BALL WELL ENOUGH. THEY CAN GET TO THE RIM. THEY CAN GET TO THE FREE THROW LINE. THEY CAN WIN. BECAUSE I THINK MARK DAYTON IS ONE OF THE BEST COACHES IN THE LEAGUE. THEY WIN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, SO I THINK THEY ARE THE SCARIEST TEAM. NOT ONLY ARE THE DEFENDING CHAMPS, THEY’RE THE SCARIEST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE RIGHT NOW AND THEY’RE PLAYING GREAT. LET’S GET TO THE STANDINGS IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE. HERE YOU GO. THEY’RE IN FIRST PLACE TRYING TO HOLD DOWN THE FORT. THEY’RE DOING THAT. IT APPEARS THEY’RE GOING TO BE THE TOP SEED IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE, WHICH OH, BY THE WAY, NOW THEY GET GAME SEVEN. AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO GO ON THIS PACE, THEY’RE GOING TO GET GAME SEVEN AT THEIR PLACE OF THE MACOMB, POTENTIALLY TWICE LIKE THEY DID LAST SEASON. I JUST THINK THEY ARE TERRIFYING FOR EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE LEAGUE. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU NOW IS THIS HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU FIRST, THAT THEY’RE GOING TO WIN THE REGULAR SEASON AND THEN POTENTIALLY MOVING FORWARD INTO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS? I’M EXTREMELY CONFIDENT. I JUST THINK THAT THERE IS A GROWING AREA THAT TEAMS HAVE TO HAVE IN THE PLAYOFFS, RIGHT. SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, OKLAHOMA CITY GOES TO DALLAS. THEY LOSE TO LUKA AND THE MAVS AND KYRIE. THAT WAS A GROWING LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THEM. I THINK EVERY TEAM HAS TO GO THROUGH THAT AND SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO. ABOUT PLAYING FIVE TIMES IN THE REGULAR SEASON AGAINST OKLAHOMA CITY AND WHAT GOING FOR. AND ONE THE SPURS. SPURS THE SPURS. YEAH IT’S THAT’S FINE AND ALL. BUT THE THUNDER ARE BATTLE TESTED NOW AND THEY GROW FROM EVERY EXPERIENCE. AND WHEN YOU WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP YOU THINK WE’RE GOING TO GROW FROM THAT. SO I’M GOING TO SAY THIS. I’M GOING TO SAY FORGET THE ALAMO IN THIS WITH THE WESTERN CONFERENCE. I. LIKE THAT. FORGET THE ALAMO. IT’S OKAY. LIKE OKLAHOMA CITY’S PLAYED SO WELL. AND WE CAN WE’LL TALK ABOUT THIS IN A SECOND. BUT THE MVP OF THE LEAGUE IS IS SHEA. AND I’M SORRY I’M GETTING AHEAD OF US. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. BUT FORGET THE ALAMO. I THINK OKLAHOMA CITY IS PRIMED TO MAKE THIS RUN. AND I KNOW FORMER SPORTSCASTER TURNED SPORTSCASTER AGAIN IN OKLAHOMA CITY SAYS HEY THE THUNDER ARE REALLY GOOD. SHOCKER. I KNOW, RIGHT. BUT THEY ARE. AND THE HEALTH IS THERE. I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT ALEX CARUSO AND THE SHOOTING WAS THAT HE HAD ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT IT DIDN’T REALLY MATTER. SO THAT’S WHERE I’M AT WITH THIS. I THINK THEY’RE READY TO GO. AND THAT’S WHY YOU ASKED ME HOW CAN TEAMS BEAT THEM. YOU JUST HOPE THAT THEY MISS SHOTS. I THINK THAT’S THE ONE SHOT. HOW CAN WE MAKE OKLAHOMA CITY YOU KNOW HOW CAN WE BEAT THEM IN A SERIES IS YOU JUST HOPE THAT THEY MISS A SHOT. BECAUSE IF THEY MAKE SHOTS THEY’RE WINNING ALL THOSE SERIES. OH BY THE WAY. YES. ALL RIGHT. SO HERE’S THE DEAL WITH OKC. THEY STARTED THE SEASON 24 AND WON THE LAST 17 GAMES. THEY’RE 16 AND ONE. SO YOU BOOK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON WHERE THEY KIND OF RELAXED. THEY TOOK A BREATH. THEY START THE SEASON 24 AND WON THEIR 16 ONE. THEY ARE UNBELIEVABLE. THEY’RE THE DEFENDING CHAMPS. THEY’RE THE FAVORITE FOR A REASON. AND SO I JUST THINK THEY ARE THE FAVORITE. AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE A LOAD TO TRY TO MATCH UP WITH IN THE POSTSEASON. AND I HATE TO BE THIS WAY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE NBA POSTSEASON IS SO CRAZY AND IT’S IT’S MORE OF A GRIND. IT’S NOT A SPRINT. IT’S A MARATHON. WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH TWO MONTHS OF BASKETBALL. BUT TO ME, THEY’RE JUST CONSTRUCTED DIFFERENT. THEY ARE. AND THEY’RE I MEAN, TO ME AJ MITCHELL YOU PICK HIM OVER DYLAN JONES LIKE LOOK AT THE DRAFTING THEY DID. IT’S INCREDIBLE WHAT SAM PRESTI HAS PUT TOGETHER WITH THIS TEAM. IT’S JUST UNBELIEVABLE. THEY DO EVERYTHING WELL. THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. SO WE GOT ABOUT 90S TO GO. I WANT TO GET INTO THE MVP. YOU BROUGHT IT UP. SO HERE’S THE LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE. IT’S SHEA GILGEOUS ALEXANDER. YOU CAN LOOK AT THE ODDS. MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE FAVORITE TO BE THE BACK TO BACK MVP AGAIN. SO LAST WEEK AFTER THEY BEAT THE PISTONS AND SGA WENT CRAZY AT THE END OF THE GAME. I LOVE THIS RESPONSE. HE WAS ASKED IF HE WANTED TO TRY TO SELL HIMSELF AS THE MVP OF THE NBA ROLE. IT. NAH. I’M GOOD, THANKS FOR ASKING THOUGH. BUT YEAH, I’M GOOD. I LET MY GAME DO THE TALKING. THAT IS SO BALLER, MAN. NO I’M GOOD. I’LL LET YOU VOTE FOR ME WHEN YOU VOTE FOR ME. HE’S GONNA WIN THE MVP RIGHT? YEAH 100%. LOOK, HERE’S WHAT I THINK. YOU’RE GOING TO GET IT THIS YEAR. AND YOU SEE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE START TO SAY, OH, OKLAHOMA CITY FOUL. BATES SGA FOUL. BATES THE WAY HE DRIVES, ESPECIALLY FOLKS ON THE EAST COAST. YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF THAT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. BUT TO ME THE OBVIOUS IS SHEA. SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT LUCA. HE MIGHT NOT REACH THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF GAMES. SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO ABOUT VICTOR WEMBANYAMA. FINE. THAT’S THAT’S OKAY. SHEA IS GOING TO WIN THE MVP THIS YEAR. THEN NEXT YEAR THEY WILL PUT UP SIMILAR NUMBERS AND THERE WILL BE FATIGUE. IT’S LIKE 100% 100% IS GOING TO BE THE FAVORITE TO BE THE MVP NEXT YEAR. BUT NOW. BUT I JUST THINK SHEA’S ALL TIME GREAT. I MEAN, HE’S ALL TIME. ALL TIME, ALL TIME GREAT. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE BEST GUARD IN THE LEAGUE SINCE STEPH CURRY. ONE OF THE BEST GUARDS EVER TO PLAY THE GAME. ONE OF THE BEST, EASIEST SCORERS EVER TO PLAY THE GAME. HE’S GOING TO BE A BACK TO BACK MVP. THEY’RE THE FAVORITE TO WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. IF ALL THOSE THINGS COME OUT, YOU’RE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS EVER TO PLAY THE GAME. HE’S PLAYING IN OKLAHOMA CITY DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW. HE IS. IT’S REMARKABLE HERE. THERE’S MY THERE’S THAT SPONSORSHIP BOOM. NAILED IT. I’M JUST GONNA SAY TIMES TWO TIMES TWO. IT’S GONNA HAPPEN. I’M NOT AS CREATIVE. I KNOW IT’S GONNA IT’S GONNA HAPPEN. THUNDER PLAY THE LAKERS ON THE ROAD
Crashing the Boards: Will Thunder be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference?
Updated: 12:17 PM CDT Apr 6, 2026
On the latest edition of Crashing the Boards, Sports Director Bryan Keating and special guest Dylan Buckingham talk about the Thunder’s recent wins and their chances of wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference as the regular season nears its end.
On the latest edition of Crashing the Boards, Sports Director Bryan Keating and special guest Dylan Buckingham talk about the Thunder’s recent wins and their chances of wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference as the regular season nears its end.