Thunder Such Likely Title Winners, Lead Indiana (3-2)

The Oklahoma Thunder, whose Friday night past, #4 win was/is the key one, moved within 1 win of their first Oklahoma City based crown, riding Jalen Williams’ forty/40 (ode to Chet, who directed NBA games also on ABC, which to me anyway, were done so much better than now) to an 11 point(s) win over the Indiana Pacers, in game 5 and into a (3-2) final round lead.

Regular season and still likely final round MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose great game in #4 was and barring the unforeseen, will be this series most important, added 31 points.

Now will it and to me, if “City” wants the high regard that would accompany a (68-14) title team, do it in 6 not 7 (they conceivably could lose #7 at home and even last night in a tilt which Ok City led throughout, the game Pacers, did cut a once 18 point lead to 2) be clinched Thursday night in Indy or will there be a 7th on Sunday night?

Sorry for the “chalk,” yet fully aware it could still be Indy, certainly in #6 and maybe even 7, though again I doubt it–thus in “Anticipation,” some notes follow.

The Thunder, as both the SuperSonics and based in “Ok City,” are (4-1) in NBA final round games 5, winning to go up (3-2) vs the Bullets in ’78, clinching the crown in ’79, staying alive from (0-3) to (2-3) vs Mr. Jordan and the Bulls in ’96 and being eliminated by the Heat in 2012 before last night’s win.

Eight times in 31 “such,” has the #5 winner in an NBA final round series that was tied 2 games apiece lost the series.

One of those 8 was the Bullets, whom “Sea” 5’d the next year, winning in 7, the last game at Seattle (Mitch Kupchak’s big “put back” play and I remember Mark Splaver, look him and the ’78 Bullets run up) doing it vs “Sea” in ’78.