Thunder, Spurs set for battle of titans in NBA Western Conference Finals

LOS ANGELES – The Oklahoma City Thunder were dominant for most of the season, posting the NBA’s best record (64-18) for the second consecutive season.

But the Thunder struggled against the San Antonio Spurs, dropping four of the five meetings during the regular season.

On May 18 (May 19, Singapore time), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder open the Western Conference Finals against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, 62-20 in the regular season, in Oklahoma City.

It is the first NBA play-off 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 the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz.

“It’s fitting because both teams earned their way here,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s a team we have a ton of respect for. We know what they’re capable of. It’s an opponent that is incredibly worthy.”

Thunder reserve big man Jaylin Williams said the regular-season results do not mean much now.

“The play-offs is such a different monster,” he said. “It’s a different game. You’re never playing a team this many times in a row in the regular season. The calls are different, guys play harder, the defence is different, offence is different, everything is different. So it’s a whole different game.”

Oklahoma City have had a week between games, finishing off a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers on May 11. The Thunder are 8-0 in the play-offs, winning by an average of more than 16 points per game.

While Wembanyama played in the games against Oklahoma City in the regular season, he came off the bench for each of the three wins over the Thunder during a 13-day stretch in December. He was working his way back from a calf strain and upon his return, came off the bench for the first seven games before returning to the starting line-up.

In his first play-off 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 City have been without All-Star guard Jalen Williams since he sustained a hamstring injury in Game 2 of the first round.

In an Instagram video posted on May 15, Williams said he was ready to return.

“I’m about to go into another series healthy,” he said.

Williams was not listed on the injury report ahead of Game 1. San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox (ankle) and Luke Kornet (foot) are listed as questionable.

Gilgeous-Alexander, named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the second straight season on May 17, has led the way for Oklahoma City.

The guard received 83 first-place votes and won handily with 939 points in balloting by a panel of 100 voters who cover the NBA. Wembanyama was third, behind Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, with 569 points and five first-place votes.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 straight 20-plus point efforts and is on a 140-game run entering the next regular season, passed on the credit to the other Oklahoma City players.

Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell have been critical pieces for their play-off 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 honours 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 post-season.

“It’s going to be a hard-fought series – very physical, two teams with high aspirations,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “They’re playing really well right now. We’re playing really well right now. We’re in each other’s way of going to the finals, so I think it’ll be a good series.”

The Eastern Conference Finals also promise to be a compelling contest between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks, with the series starting on May 19.

Cleveland eliminated top-seeded Detroit on May 17, dominating a decisive Game 7 125-94.

The resounding road win behind Donovan Mitchell’s 26 points extends an impressive play-off run for the Cavaliers, who also knocked out the Toronto Raptors, after a mediocre regular season in which they finished fourth in the East. REUTERS