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From time to time, NBA.com’s writers will share their takes on the biggest storylines and trends around the league.

Who’s headed for the 2026 NBA Finals?

Steve Aschburner

Thunder-Cavaliers: Begin with the end in mind, the efficiency experts tell us. So, let’s cut through 1,230 regular-season games, another six for the SoFi Play-In Tournament crowd and three rounds of playoffs to address the really big question: Who’s left standing by late June?

My hunch is this remarkable run of championship parity – seven different winners over the past seven seasons – ends most reasonably: OKC wins again, defending its 2025 crown in … hmm, six games against the Cleveland. The Thunder return everyone this season, are young enough to stay sufficiently hungry, and have a

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