The Oklahoma City Thunder were dominant for most of the season, posting the NBA’s best record for the second consecutive season.
But the Thunder struggled against the San Antonio Spurs, dropping four of the five meetings during the regular season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder open the Western Conference finals against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in Oklahoma City.
It’s the first NBA playoff series between teams with 60 or more wins since 2017 and the first between teams with 62 or more wins since the 1998 NBA finals between Chicago and Utah.
Thunder reserve big man Jaylin Williams said the regular-season results don’t mean much now.
Oklahoma City has had a week between games, finishing off a sweep of the Lakers on May 11. The Thunder are 8-0 in the playoffs, winning by an average of more than 16 points per game.
San Antonio is coming off a six-game series win over Minnesota after needing five games to dispatch Portland in the first round.
In his first playoff run, Wembanyama is averaging 20.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, and 2.4 assists.
The Spurs have been pretty healthy during their run to the Western Conference finals.
Oklahoma has been without All-Star guard Jalen Williams since he sustained a hamstring injury in Game 2 of the first round.
Williams wasn’t listed on the injury report ahead of Game 1.
While Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, has led the way for Oklahoma City, Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell have been critical pieces for this playoff run.
Holmgren, in particular, figures to be key in this series as the Thunder try to slow Wembanyama. Wembanyama won NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors while Holmgren finished second. Holmgren is averaging 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 assists in the postseason.
San Antonio is in the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2017 and is looking for its first NBA Finals berth since winning the 2014 title.
Oklahoma City is looking to become the first back-to-back NBA champion since Golden State in 2017-18. (Field Level Media / Reuters)