Game 1 of the NBA Finals could have been an especially crushing defeat for a young Oklahoma City Thunder team had they not dealt with nearly the exact same scenario earlier in these same playoffs

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.

OKC is looking poised to contend for the short- and medium-term future, while Boston might make major changes.