The Oklahoma City Thunder’s victory over the Spurs in the Western Conference finals represents a breakthrough for the up-and-coming club. Either the Spurs, Lakers or Mavericks had represented the West in the NBA Finals every season since 1998-99, and the Thunder beat all three to break that string. Here’s a closer look:
Year — Team — Opponent — Result
’11 — Mavericks — Heat — W 4-2
’10 — Lakers — Celtics — W 4-3
’09 — Lakers — Magic — W 4-1
’08 — Lakers — Celtics — L 4-2
’07 — Spurs — Caviliers — W 4-0
’06 — Mavericks — Heat — L 4-2
’05 — Spurs — Pistons — W 4-3
’04 — Lakers — Pistons — L 4-1
’03 — Spurs — Nets — W 4-2
’02 — Lakers — Nets — W 4-0
’01 — Lakers — 76ers — W 4-1
’00 — Lakers — Pacers — W 4-2
’99 — Spurs — Knicks — W 4-1
Source: Express-News research