Did Chris Finch’s tantrum change the course of OKC’s season?

The Oklahoma City Thunder entered that December match looking unstoppable. They faced the Minnesota Timberwolves with momentum, swagger and the best record in basketball. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in full control of the gamesand the Thunder’s season was steady and inevitable. Then Timberwolves coach Chris Finch lost his temper and was ejectedand the energy shifted within the arena. Minnesota fed off of it. OKC has stumbled. The result was just one loss 112-107 on paperbut it lingered as something more.

Context is important here. The Thunder were 25–2 before that night, now 30–7. Still elite and first in the West. But the journey between those numbers is different. Since firing Finch, OKC is just 5–5. The rhythm has cooled. Margins have tightened. The team that used to bulldoze opponents now looks more human. Monday’s 124–97 loss to the Hornets added weight. That snapped a two-game losing streak and ended an NBA-record 24-game winning streak against Eastern Conference teams. He also captured something emotional – that aura of inevitability.

A turning point or just turbulence for the Thunder?

The statistical decline supports the discomfort. Over their last nine games, the Thunder rank 26th in free throw attempts per night. For this list, that stat is more important than most. They attack the rim, force contact and live at the line. When the whistles stop coming, their style bends. It forces more rebounds and fewer paint touches. It changes results and confidence.

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled like a machine.

25–2 entering the matchup with the Timberwolves on Dec. 19, looking untouchable, looking inevitable.

Then one night changed the energy.

That Minnesota game became notorious as Chris Finch was ejected and later fined $35,000.

OKC… pic.twitter.com/FTk58AfzEF

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 6, 2026

None of this erases who they are. The Thunder are the defending NBA champions. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains a calm, pace-controlling star. The list is young, long and fearless. Crashes happen. But stories are also formed. Chris Finch’s Eruption. The spark of the Timberwolves. Whisper that the whistle feels different now. Coincidence or cause? The fans are feeling the tension. The team feels the test.

Now the question is: Is this just a rough patch in the Thunder’s season or a moment when OKC learns how to win when the game stops giving them favors?