Even with all this talk about how the New York Knicks are coming into their Eastern Conference Finals matchup against Cleveland with should-be edges of rest and homecourt advantage on their side, as the Thunder just proved, such luxuries don't promise you anything.
New York should be taking mental notes.
Heading into their Game 1 bout against San Antonio on their own home turf Monday night, Oklahoma City proved as dominant as these Knicks have been in the 2026 postseason.
Boasting an undefeated record of 8-0 accompanied by the best offensive punch (126.3 rating) and second-best point-differential (plus-16.6) in the league, the Thunder seemed virtually unstoppable.
Add in the fact that they were getting star wing Jalen Williams back following a hamstring strain that had sidelined him for multiple games, and all signs pointed to OKC stretching its win streak to nine straight.
Of course, sometimes an active team with momentum on its side can prove hungrier and more prepared than one making its way back from extended dormancy.
That's exactly what happened in their series opener, as the Spurs, fresh off a commanding Game 6 win in the conference semifinals just three nights prior, came in and took full advantage of the reletively rusty Thunder, downing them in front of their home crowd by a final score of 122-115 to take a 1-0 series lead.
Without question, New York should use this epic upset as motivation heading into their own opener versus the Cavaliers.
Knicks looking to avoid same fate as Thunder in conference finals opener
This postseason, there seem to be many parallels between these Knicks and the Thunder. Not in their on-court style of play, of course, but rather their domination and health-related hardships.
Like OKC, New York has regularly been seen coasting past their playoff opponents, as they are leading all teams in point differential (plus-19.4) and net rating (20.0), and trails just behind the reigning champs in win percentage at .800.
On top of this, they, too, have been forced to play without their stud forward for multiple games, as OG Anunoby has been shelved since Game 2 of their second-round matchup against Philadelphia.
Fortunately, all signs point to him being ready to go for Tuesday's opener against Cleveland, which, considering how sensational they've been even without his services, has many believing a Game 1 win should be reletively easy to attain.
As the Thunder just showed, however, even with the return of key players and coming into the series with fresh legs after an over-a-week hiatus, nothing is guaranteed.
Hopefully, Josh Hart's eagerness to get back out there has spread across the entire team, and they come out locked and loaded in front of a packed crowd at MSG.
This Knicks team fully understands the consequences of losing homecourt advantage following last year's conference finals bout against Indiana. The goal this time around is to avoid a repeat of such a blunder.
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