Feb 13, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) and center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) react to a call for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
On Friday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder will hit the court competitively for the first time since Feb. 13. They take on the Utah Jazz, a team struggling toward the bottom of the Western Conference. Regardless of where the Jazz are in the standings, OKC has the opportunity to earn a statement win against them.
With many people questioning the validity of the Thunder and how good they truly are, a blowout victory against Utah would be a good reminder that they are still the team atop the Western Conference standings.
The Jazz might not be the best team to use as a reminder for the rest of the NBA and OKC's critics, but if Oklahoma City handles business as it normally does, the chance that people are reminded of how good the team truly is.
A standout performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also would help that case. He was on a scoring tear before being halted by the All-Star break and continuing that right where the back half of the season picks up would be impressive. Gilgeous-Alexander was nearly unstoppable before the break and OKC will need him to continue that level of play to continue their success.
Seeing the supporting cast around Gilgeous-Alexander find continued success also would be a reminder to many that the Thunder have more than just its star player. Whether it comes from Jalen Williams, Aaron Wiggins, or a recovering Chet Holmgren, someone outside of Gilgeous-Alexander stepping up and taking on a scoring role would help.
The recovery and re-acclimation of Holmgren will not only play a vital role in OKC's success moving forward but will also add another piece to the championship-winning puzzle. He's yet to find his footing in only three games back, but a solid performance from Holmgren against Utah wouldn't hurt.
OKC should be able to walk away with a win against the Jazz. They've defeated them twice already in pretty easy fashion, the same of which should be expected for the third rendition of the matchup. How they win the game will be more important than the win or loss on its record.
If OKC loses, a different narrative will come about the following day. Losing to a team with one of the worst records in the NBA would create a negative perception of the team and would not generate any momentum for the final stretch of the regular season.
Defeating Utah shouldn't be a challenge for OKC. If they've done it twice so far, they can do it again. How they play and who plays well will be more important, assuming OKC does walk away with a victory.