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The Thunder continued to build on recent success in previous years by making the NBA Playoffs, first defeating and sweeping the defending NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks, in four games in the First Round, then defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Semi-finals, and finally, defeated the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Western Conference finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1996, when the club was based in Seattle.
In the NBA Finals, the Thunder faced off against the Big Three-led Miami Heat, who made an appearance in the previous NBA Finals, but lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. Despite winning Game 1 in the NBA Finals, the Thunder would then go on to lose the next four games and the NBA Finals against the Heat.
Other season highlights included forward Kevin Durant's third consecutive NBA scoring title, and Durant being named the MVP of the All-Star Game. Following the season, James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets.
The Thunder had only their own first-round pick entering the draft. The Thunder traded their 2011 second-round pick in the Latavious Williams trade with the Miami Heat back in 2010. The Thunder ended 2011 NBA draft night with Boston College guard Reggie Jackson.
Trades
On December 13, the Thunder traded Robert Vaden, a 2012 second-round pick and a 2013 second-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Lazar Hayward. Presti said on Hayward that his "toughness, length, and shooting are attributes that will add depth to our roster."
For this offseason, free agency began on December 9, 2011, due to the 2011 NBA lockout. Daequan Cook was set to hit restricted free agency. On December 9, Cook agreed to a two-year, $6.5 million deal to re-sign with the Thunder. On December 13, Ryan Reid signed a deal with the Thunder. Reid was originally selected 57th overall in the 2010 NBA draft but did not a sign a contract in the 2010–11 season, instead playing the season with the Tulsa 66ers.
On December 24, the Thunder waived Nate Robinson. Robinson opted to stay in his hometown Seattle after spending most of his Thunder tenure on the bench.
5 vs Pistons on January 23, 2012 5 vs Warriors on February 7, 2012 5 vs Nuggets on February 19, 2012 5 vs Magic on March 1, 2012 5 vs Suns on April 18, 2012 5 vs Nuggets on April 25, 2012
Durant helped the Thunder to a 5-0 start as well, averaging a Western Conference-best 27.4 points (second overall), while shooting .547 from the field and .500 from beyond the arc. Durant opened the 2011-12 campaign with four 30-plus-point performances. He recorded a double-double – 30 points and 11 rebounds – in a 104-102 win over the Mavericks Dec. 29.
Westbrook led the Thunder to a 3-0 week, including wins over the Pistons and Hornets. Westbrook averaged 22.0 points, 7.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 steals. Oklahoma City’s 120-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 27 was keyed by Westbrook’s 28 points, 11 assists, seven steals and six rebounds.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant was named a starter on the 2012 Western Conference All-Star team after receiving 1,345,566 votes, second most in the Western Conference, the NBA announced today.
For the second straight season, Westbrook will join teammate Kevin Durant on the Western Conference All-Star squad. In his first All-Star appearance, Westbrook finished with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes of action.
Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks and his coaching staff will guide the Western Conference All-Stars on February 26th at Amway Center in Orlando, it was announced by the NBA.
Westbrook helped the Thunder to a 3-1 week, averaging 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals. Westbrook scored 28 or more points in all four of Oklahoma City’s games, and posted one double-double (28 points, 11 rebounds) on Feb. 6, in a 111-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Westbrook connected on a career-high 15 field goals on Feb. 9, during a 106-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Durant helped Oklahoma City to a 3-1 week which included wins over the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets. Durant averaged 32.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, and shot .585 from the field, .917 from the foul line and .588 from distance. Durant’s career-high 51 points on Feb. 19 propelled the Thunder to a 124-118 win over the Nuggets.
Durant helped the Thunder to a 12-3 month with the help of seven 30-plus-point scoring efforts. He paced the league, averaging 29.1 points. Against Denver on Feb. 19, Durant scored a career-high 51 points to go along with eight rebounds during a 124-118 win. Oklahoma City’s 12 wins for the month was tops in the league, and the 12-3 record equaled the franchise’s best February in history (12-3, 1972). Durant was named MVP of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, thanks to his 36-point performance on Feb. 26, during the West’s 152-149 victory over the East.
Durant’s 29.5 ppg ranked second in the league (Kevin Love, 33.5), his 10.3 rpg ranked ninth, and his 2.0 spg tied for fifth best in the Western Conference as he helped the Thunder to a 3-1 week. Durant, the league’s second leading scorer for the season at 27.9 points (Kobe Bryant, 28.3) tallied 40 points and a season-high 17 rebounds on March 25 in a 103-87 win over the Heat.
Durant captured his second consecutive Player of the Month award, leading Oklahoma City to an 11-5 record (second in the Western Conference) in March. Durant ranked second in the league in scoring (27.6 ppg), netting at least 20 points 15 times and eclipsing 30 on five occasions. He added averages of 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, and recorded three double-doubles. In a 149-140 double overtime win against Minnesota on March 23, Durant scored 40 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds. Two nights later, in a 103-87 victory over Miami, Durant had 28 points, nine rebounds and season-high-tying eight assists.
Harden, the third overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, was a model of consistency, scoring in double figures in 58 of 62 contests, while averaging 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. He topped the 20-point mark on 15 occasions, with the Thunder going 14-1 in those games. He shot .491 from the field, .846 from the free throw line, and .390 from three-point range.
In his third NBA season, Ibaka led the NBA and set an all-time franchise record with 3.65 blocks per game. Ibaka’s block per game average was the highest for any NBA player in more than a decade.
Durant was named to the All-NBA First Team for a third consecutive season after becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to capture three consecutive scoring crowns. During the 2011-12 season, Durant led the Thunder with 18 doubles-doubles and on Feb. 19 vs. Denver, he recorded a career-best 51 points. During the 2011-12 season, Durant received NBA Player of the Month honors in February and March.
Westbrook received All-NBA Second Team honors for a second straight season after securing five first place votes and 239 total points. Westbrook currently maintains the longest active games played streak in the NBA (312 games) and registered the fifth highest scoring average in the NBA (23.6 ppg) while leading the Thunder in assists (5.5 apg) during the 2011-12 season.
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