Check Out the Best Moments from the 2011-2012 @okcthunder, the Last OKC Team to Make the NBA Finals Before This Season! 🎥

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Game 1: Thursday, 8:30pm/et on ABC

Before the 2024-2025 Oklahoma City Thunder stormed back into the NBA Finals, it had been 13 long years since the team’s last trip to basketball’s biggest stage. The 2011-2012 Thunder were electric, explosive, and unforgettable. Led by a young, hungry core featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, that squad didn’t just represent a small-market team on the rise—they became the blueprint for what was possible when talent, chemistry, and ambition align.

As the Thunder prepare to take the Finals stage once again, now is the perfect time to rewind and celebrate the top moments from that iconic 2011-2012 campaign. This was the team that announced Oklahoma City as a real contender—and left fans breathless along the way.

1. Kevin Durant’s Buzzer-Beater Over the Mavericks

It all started in Round 1 of the playoffs. The Thunder drew the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in what many thought would be a tough matchup. But Durant set the tone early with a dagger in Game 1.

With the score tied and just seconds left, KD rose over Shawn Marion—a known defensive stopper—and buried a tough fadeaway jumper that bounced high off the rim and dropped through the net as the buzzer sounded. The Chesapeake Energy Arena exploded. It was the moment that said: we’re not the same team anymore.

2. Sweeping the Champs

The Thunder didn’t just beat the Mavericks—they swept them. A clean 4-0 series win over the reigning champions was a statement to the entire league. Westbrook’s relentless attacking, Harden’s poise off the bench, and Ibaka’s rim protection proved too much for Dirk Nowitzki and the veteran Mavs.

This wasn’t a Cinderella story. This was a takeover.

3. James Harden’s Heroics in Game 4 vs. Spurs

Facing the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals was like facing a basketball machine. After falling behind 0-2, the Thunder needed someone to shift the momentum. Enter James Harden.

In Game 4, Harden came off the bench and dropped a cool 23 points, including several clutch buckets in the fourth quarter that sent the Spurs reeling. His step-back three over Kawhi Leonard in crunch time became an instant classic. The beard was fearless.

OKC tied the series, then won the next two. They closed it out in six games, ending San Antonio’s 20-game win streak and securing a trip to the Finals. The Thunder were built different.

4. Russell Westbrook’s Triple-Double Against the Lakers

The Conference Semifinals against Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers were another proving ground. In Game 2, Westbrook turned in one of his most complete and dominant performances of the season: a 27-point, 10-assist, 7-rebound night that felt like a triple-double because of his impact on both ends.

He hounded Lakers guards, pushed the tempo like a one-man fast break, and brought the kind of fire that ignited his teammates. With every thunderous dunk and baseline jumper, Russ let everyone know: he was here to win, not wait.

5. Serge Ibaka’s 11 Blocks in a Single Game

If there was a defensive anchor on that team, it was Serge “Iblocka” Ibaka. In a regular season game against the Denver Nuggets, Ibaka recorded a jaw-dropping 11 blocks—a career high and one of the most dominant defensive performances in Thunder history.

He wasn’t just a shot blocker—he was a game-changer. Ibaka’s presence in the paint made OKC a nightmare matchup in the playoffs, allowing guards to pressure the perimeter knowing help was waiting at the rim.

6. Beating the Big 3 (At Least Once)

While the Thunder ultimately lost the 2012 NBA Finals in five games to the Miami Heat’s Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, Game 1 was an all-time moment.

Durant scored 36 points in a scintillating second-half takeover that included fadeaways, drives, and cold-blooded threes. Westbrook added 27. The Thunder came from behind and won 105-94. For a moment, it looked like the NBA might have new kings.

Though the series didn’t go OKC’s way, the experience would define that team and teach a young core what it took to compete at the highest level.

Legacy of the 2011-2012 Thunder

What makes the 2011-2012 Thunder so memorable isn’t just their trip to the Finals—it’s how they got there. They beat Dirk, Kobe, and Tim Duncan in one playoff run. That’s a Mt. Rushmore of Western Conference greatness. They played fast, fun basketball. They had three future MVPs on the same roster, all under the age of 24.

They were fearless. They were flawed. They were must-watch TV.

And while the core eventually broke apart—Harden was traded months later, Durant left in 2016, Westbrook was dealt in 2019—the spirit of that team lives on in OKC.

Fast forward to today, and the 2024-2025 Thunder are writing a new chapter. Led by a young star like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team has once again made the NBA Finals. And just like the class of 2012, they’ve done it with style, unity, and belief.