Sam Anderson, a staff writer for The Times Magazine, first wrote about the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012. He is the author of “Boom Town” (2018), a book about the team and the city it calls home.

The Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated the Denver Nuggets from the NBA Playoffs on Sunday with a 125-93 win at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The big picture: Oklahoma City secured a 4-3 series win against the Nuggets and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder's postseason run has been nothing short of an impressive feat. Running through the Memphis Grizzlies in four games, albeit with Ja Mor