The chatter began over the first month or so of the season, but the din was deafening after a 25-point fourth quarter explosion that culminated in a game-winning three-pointer. Paul George was leading the MVP conversation, and driving the Thunder to a blistering hot streak of 16 wins in 19 games.
A month later, in Philadelphia, George buried a go-ahead four-point play with less than 10 seconds to go. Then in February, at home against the Utah Jazz in double-overtime, George floated in a high-arcing runner over the outstretched arm of towering Jazz center Rudy Gobert right before the horn.