Oklahoma City has been on quite the tear lately, and the national media is starting to take notice. The Thunder will compete in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday night against Milwaukee, which will serve as another opportunity for the young team to shine on a national stage.

The Thunder have gone 9-1 over the last 10 games and are outscoring opponents by a league-best 12.1 points per game. Oklahoma City’s defense looks historic, which is even more impressive considering the absence of Chet Holmgren. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a legitimate case for the MVP award, and is leading the charge for what very well could be the most talented Thunder team of all time.

Oklahoma City has spent a few weeks from the outside looking in in the NBA’s power rankings, but this week, they vaulted straight back to the top. It’s no surprise, considering the Thunder’s five-game win streak and NBA Cup success.

“Over the previous 28 seasons for which we have play-by-play data, the best defense belonged to the 2003-04 San Antonio Spurs, who allowed 8.3 fewer points per 100 possessions than the league average,” John Schuhmann wrote. “The Thunder have been much better than that, allowing 9.4 fewer than the league average. The context is that they’ve played a relatively easy schedule regarding opposing offenses and have had a rest advantage in two of their six games against teams.”

Oklahoma City’s spot at the top is warranted, and with the way they are playing, it’s hard to see them giving it up without a fight. The team now has a sizable 3.0 game lead in the Western Conference and is well on its way to a second straight appearance as the conference’s No. 1 seed.

The Thunder won’t have many more opportunities to make an impression on national television, so Tuesday night will be a huge test.

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