Thunder beat Timberwolves, but miss playoffs

Published Apr. 15, 2015 10:42 p.m. ET

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For most of the 82 games this season, the Thunder were undone by injuries. Wednesday night, another situation, also beyond Oklahoma City's control sunk its season.

The New Orleans Pelicans.

First, Anthony Davis made a can-you-believe-it shot to beat the Thunder back in early February and then the Pelicans kidney punched OKC once more with a can-you-believe-it win against the Spurs Wednesday.

The result of the first situation was a loss for the Thunder. The result of the second means the Thunder are out of the playoffs.

Just another example, in what now is a recent history of bad luck, bad breaks and the abstractness of maybe this all wasn't meant to be.

Hasn't it felt like that all year? Too much was beyond this team's control. Too many injuries, too many variables and ultimately too many losses.

The Thunder needed a win Wednesday against Minnesota and needed a Spurs win in New Orleans. Well, OKC did its part dominating Minnesota 138-113, but the Spurs fell short, the Pelicans played well enough and the Thunder are out of the playoffs.

But, really, didn't we see this coming? Shouldn't we have?

We sort of knew, and know, next season – the 2015-16 year – will be the most-important in franchise history with Kevin Durant in the final year of his contract and not knowing whether he will re-sign or become a free agent, but we also sorta knew this season was off the rails before it even started.

Kevin Durant started the season injured and never really got well. He played just 27 games. Russell Westbrook got hurt in the first week of the season. He missed time. Reggie Jackson got traded. Everyone else (seemingly) got hurt. Serge Ibaka hasn't played in so long you can't even remember the last time anyone wearing Thunder blue played defense.

Still, this team scrapped to 45 wins in the Western Conference after starting the season 3-12.

Hard to admit, especially because of the success this team has had in the past several years, but it wasn't meant to be. Hard to swallow, because the past two seasons have ended the way this one started – with an injury.

Hard to fathom, because this was the year. This was the year with Durant and Westbrook and Ibaka and newcomer Anthony Morrow.

This wasn't the year it was supposed to come undone like it did when Westbrook was knocked out of the playoffs two seasons ago. Or like last year when Ibaka got hurt in the postseason.

Meant to be? Nope. And around here, it's something folks are oddly getting used to.

Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK