Billy Donovan entered the season as a lame duck, a coach without a contract past the 2019-20 campaign.
Three consecutive first-round playoff exits, a departure of the stars and a looming rebuild were signs for a possible coaching change. But Donovan, who celebrated his 55th birthday Saturday, might have rewritten the end of his Thunder script.
Donovan was named Western Conference Coach of the Month in December, when the Thunder went 11-4. That gave way to a 12-5 January, a 7-3 February and a 3-1 March before the season was suspended.
The Thunder’s 33-13 record since Dec.