The Western Conference Finals has its two contenders, Oklahoma City Thunder will face the San Antonio Spurs in a best-of-seven series, which is set to take off on Sunday.
Both teams defeated their respective Los Angeles squads. The Thunder are fresh out of their five game series against the Lakers. Meanwhile, the Spurs have swept both of their opponents (Utah,Clippers) and are cruising through the playoffs. This matchup will be one to look for as the two top teams in the West battle it out.
The Spurs won the regular season series 2-1. They did it by forcing turnovers and grabbing offensive rebounds. The highlight of the regular season series had to be Tony Parker going absolutely nuts scoring 42 points in a 107-96 victory back in February.
The Spurs have a pretty decent bench, but the Thunder's have the edge here as they outscored the Spurs' bench in every game. Headed by the bearded beast, James Harden, the Thunder can rest their starters knowing they can keep a lead or stay close in a game. Harden averaged 19 points, almost five assists and six rebounds per game against the Spurs in the regular season.
The team that controlled the rebounding war won the games in the regular season. On paper, the Thunder look like they can win that matchup with Serge Ibaka's and Kendrick Perkins' dominating physical presence, but the Spurs have been on a roll.
Much has been said already about the streaking Spurs. They have won 18 games in a row dating back to the regular season. The Thunder beat the Lakers 4-1 but they could have been playing a Game 6 tomorrow had the Lakers been able to finish late in games.
The Spurs have enough material on how to execute and slow down the Thunder's dynamic offense. The key will be finding a way to stop the pick and roll. The Lakers had a lot of trouble defending Russell Westbrook when the pick and roll was in motion. His improved jump shot has allowed him to become a mighty weapon and he is one of the quickest guards in the league.
The Thunder will have to find a way to contain Parker and Tim Duncan. They led the team in scoring in the Los Angeles Clippers series. The Thunder have to force somebody else to beat them.
Unless one team outplays the other dramatically, this series could end up going to seven games. The Thunder are resilient and no lead is safe against them. The Spurs are a veteran team that find ways to win ballgames.
