The Paycom Center will host Game 1 of one of the most anticipated Western Conference finals in recent NBA history. Defending NBA champions and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder against the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs.
This was probably everyone’s pick for the conference finals seeing how the regular season unfolded. Both teams were two of the three teams to win 60 games and had two main front-runners for the MVP award.
OKC is 8-0 in the playoffs after sweeping both the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers. San Antonio handled the Portland Trail Blazers in five games and the Minnesota Timberwolves in six.
A place in the NBA Finals is on the line. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the series.
Headlining Matchup of NBA Playoffs
GettyOklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams
San Antonio turned out to be OKC’s boogey team in the regular season. The Spurs won four out of five games including snapping the Thunder’s 16-game winning streak in mid-December. Three of the four losses actually occurred in December, including a pair of double-digit losses.
Oklahoma City finally ended the three-game losing streak against San Antonio in mid-January with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 34 points. The Spurs then won the final meeting in early February.
The 4-1 edge will give the Spurs some confidence heading into the series. However, the postseason will be a different ball game.
Thunder’s Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Spurs’ Wembanyama
The headline clash will be between Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama. The two superstars were finalists for the MVP award and the fact that the winner was announced a day before Game 1 adds to the intrigue.
Gilgeous-Alexander won his second straight MVP crown ahead of Wembanyama. The OKC star didn’t score below 20 points in any games this season and is averaging 29.1 points in the playoffs.
GettyShai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrates.
Wembanyama is San Antonio’s best chance of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. In his debut postseason, the French superstar hasn’t felt out of place.
The Spurs only lost once when Wembanyama played above 12 minutes this playoffs, a two-point loss in Game one against Minnesota. The other two losses were when he had a concussion in Game 2 against Portland and when he was ejected in Game 4 against the Timberwolves.
Team Strengths and Playoff Form
San Antonio will have to put in an extra shift to hand OKC a taste of its first playoff defeat this year. The Thunder have been exceptional both at home and on the road.
Both teams will be at full strength with OKC’s Jalen Williams confirming Friday he will be available for the series. His absence due to a hamstring injury was the Thunder’s only real injury scare.
Spurs vs. Thunder Series Scheduling
Game 1 tips off Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET, at Paycom Center with NBC/Peacock having viewing rights. The standard 2-2-1-1-1 format will be applied for subsequent games, with Games 3 and 4 in San Antonio.
GettyThe San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to face in the Western Conference finals.
The Bigger Picture in Spurs vs. Thunder Series
This series will present the best team from the West and a chance to keep the NBA title in the conference.
OKC won it last year and will look to beat history. No defending NBA champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2019 has made it back to the NBA Finals. In fact, there hasn’t been a repeat champion since 2018, also by Golden State.
This series presents OKC a shot at a potential dynasty run, something that has been hard to come by in almost a decade.
San Antonio hasn’t been to the NBA Finals in 12 years. It has been a long time and this current roster looks like their best shot to get back in the biggest stage.
The winner of this series will play against the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Larry O’Brien trophy will be up for grabs.
Everything You Need to Know Before Spurs-Thunder Series