Trends the last time the Thunder made it to the NBA Finals - ESPN

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on their way back to the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City punched its ticket Wednesday after defeating Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, a game in which NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 34 points.

According to ESPN Research, the 124-194 win made the Thunder just the third team to notch multiple 30-point series-clinching wins in a postseason, joining the 2008 Boston Celtics and 1987 Los Angeles Lakers — both of whom won the title.

The Thunder last reached the NBA Finals in 2012 after they defeated Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in six games; Kevin Durant averaged 29.5 points per game in the series for the Thunder.

A lot has changed in the world — and with the Oklahoma City franchise — since 2012. Here's a look back.

Before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, there was another big three pursuing the same goal.

Durant, now a forward for the Phoenix Suns, was joined by current Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook and current LA Clippers guard James Harden. The original Oklahoma City big three helped the franchise finish its 2011-12 regular season with a 47-19 record and averaged 68.4 points per game as a unit.

On the Thunder's journey to the NBA Finals, they swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in the first round, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games and took the Spurs in six.

When Oklahoma City reached the Finals, the big three faced the Miami Heat's LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who averaged 21.9 points as a collective compared to the 23.3 points averaged by the trio of Durant, Westbrook and Harden.

Oklahoma City won Game 1 before losing four straight, and the Heat hoisted the