BOSTON -- The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched a playoff berth Wednesday night.
But simply returning to the playoffs, after last year's heart-breaking loss to the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the Western Conference semifinals, is far from the goal. Instead, the Thunder have their eyes on a far bigger prize: the franchise's first NBA championship.
So, rather than the act of clinching that playoff berth, what mattered to Thunder guard -- and NBA MVP frontrunner -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was how they did it: by coming into TD Garden and beating the defending champion Boston Celtics on their home floor.