@VBM
The collision course we've all been watching since opening night is finally here. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder host the upstart San Antonio Spurs in a heavyweight WCF starting Monday, May 18 — the only two Western Conference teams to win 60+ games, the top two MVP finishers on the floor, and a genuinely fascinating clash of styles.
OKC has been ruthless. Back-to-back four-game sweeps over the Suns and Lakers, and they've been resting since closing out LA on May 11. The defending champs are the No. 1 seed and undefeated through two rounds — the first sweep of the first two rounds in franchise history.
San Antonio went the distance with Minnesota in a physical second-round series, finishing the Timberwolves 4-2 with a 139-109 Game 6 demolition in Minneapolis (a building they hadn't won in since October 2022 before this series). Stephon Castle dropped 32 points and 11 rebounds in the closeout; Wemby added 19, six boards, and three blocks on a managed minutes night.
The Spurs won the regular season series 4-1, and they were the only team to beat OKC during the Thunder's record-tying 24-1 start. San Antonio also knocked OKC out of the NBA Cup in the semifinals, ending the Thunder's franchise-record 16-game winning streak.
That said, the playoffs are a different animal, and OKC has home court.
We're watching the start of what could be the next great Western Conference rivalry. Enjoy it.
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The collision course we've all been watching since opening night is finally here. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder host the upstart San Antonio Spurs in a heavyweight WCF starting Monday, May 18 — the only two Western Conference teams to win 60+ games, the top two MVP finishers on the floor, and a genuinely fascinating clash of styles.
OKC has been ruthless. Back-to-back four-game sweeps over the Suns and Lakers, and they've been resting since closing out LA on May 11. The defending champs are the No. 1 seed and undefeated through two rounds — the first sweep of the first two rounds in franchise history.
San Antonio went the distance with Minnesota in a physical second-round series, finishing the Timberwolves 4-2 with a 139-109 Game 6 demolition in Minneapolis (a building they hadn't won in since October 2022 before this series). Stephon Castle dropped 32 points and 11 rebounds in the closeout; Wemby added 19, six boards, and three blocks on a managed minutes night.
The Spurs won the regular season series 4-1, and they were the only team to beat OKC during the Thunder's record-tying 24-1 start. San Antonio also knocked OKC out of the NBA Cup in the semifinals, ending the Thunder's franchise-record 16-game winning streak.
That said, the playoffs are a different animal, and OKC has home court.
We're watching the start of what could be the next great Western Conference rivalry. Enjoy it.
-------------------------VS-------------------------
TV:
PROJECTED LINEUPS:
