Supercomputer predicts Oklahoma City Thunder to win NBA Championship against Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics ended their 12-year wait for an NBA Championship last season, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to dethrone them, according to a supercomputer.

An NBA supercomputer has thrown a curveball by predicting that the Oklahoma City Thunder will snatch the crown from the Boston Celtics in an epic seven-game Finals showdown this season.

Despite the Celtics securing their first NBA Championship since 2008 last year with a convincing 4-1 series win over the Dallas Mavericks, Sportscasting forecasts a different outcome for the upcoming Finals. The Celtics are tipped to reach the Finals again but fall short of victory.

The supercomputer foresees the Thunder clinching their first NBA title in 46 years, triumphing over Boston in a nail-biting seven-game series. Oklahoma City's path to glory is expected to include victories against formidable opponents such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is anticipated to be at the forefront of the Thunder's charge, leading the team in scoring and assists. Australian sensation Josh Giddey is also predicted to play a pivotal role, delivering triple-doubles and showcasing his high basketball IQ, while Jalen Williams is set to make significant contributions on both ends of the court.

Thunder's head coach Mark Daigneault continues to impress, earning massive respect from his players, including Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been with him since his move from the LA Clippers in 2019. "I feel like he's the same guy. He's basketball smart obviously," Gilgeous-Alexander praised. "He's humble. He commands the room in a humbling way. Guys respect him because of that."

"Now obviously, his X's and O's, he keeps learning like everyone else does, but he has remained the same and consistent throughout the whole process," he added. "Through the winning and losing, and I think that's what makes him special."

OKC has largely stayed injury-free over the last two seasons but they've had some struggles this offseason and preseason. Daigneault is committed to using his squad in its entirety. "We have a system that can bend to whoever is on the court," Daigneault said.

"Part of why you do that is if you take injuries, you don't have to change anything based on who's available and who's not. But within that system, each individual player's style and strengths hopefully can flower."

He added: "We're going to be explorational, I would say. But not because (Hartenstein's) out. That's just the way we approach the beginning of the season and throughout the season anyway. We're definitely going to do that as we've done in the past."

The last time the Thunder won an NBA Championship was all the way back in 1979, and it's their only title to date. Back then, the Thunder were known as the Seattle SuperSonics before their relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008. The SuperSonics could make a comeback in Seattle in the next two years, though, as the NBA eyes a two-team expansion. Seattle and Las Vegas are two leading candidates for new franchises, expanding the league to 32.