Westbrook was taking one-handed shots with his right hand after reporters were allowed in to see the end of the session. He then pulled the wrap back and tried a couple with both hands.

Brooks says “obviously there’s a little pain but nothing to prevent him from playing the way he can play.”

via ESPN

Westbrook is not a player that will ever miss a game. He even seems like the type that could thrive off an injury let alone simply be able to play with one.

Westbrook scored 27 points in Game 1 to go with 11 assists and eight rebounds. The Heat could not guard him or even stay in front of him in a lot of cases.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade even switched onto Westbrook a few times and Westbrook went right ahead and drove right by them. The more attention that Westbrook can take on himself, the better it will be for the Thunder and Kevin Durant.

With James Harden scoring just five points, Westbrook was very much needed to show up in the way that he did.

We’ll see tonight if Harden can get his act together but if he doesn’t, Westbrook will once again have to have a big night.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James has been doing it all for the Miami Heat this season and in the playoffs and now he wants some help.

Dwyane Wade hasn’t been entirely himself in the playoffs and in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City he struggled with 19 points on 7-of-19 shooting.

Here’s what LeBron said of Wade:

“A lot of times I try to let him figure it out on his own, but sometimes I go to him and tell him I need one of those games from him, I need one of those performances from him because he still has it,” LeBron said. “He knows he still has it, too, but every player needs a little kick every now and then, no matter how time-tested they are.”

Here we go again with LeBron and Wade trying to figure out playing together. How is LeBron not totally comfortable alongside Wade yet?

LeBron should never be letting anyone do anything on a basketball court. He’s the best player in the NBA and should be taking what he wants.

It’s not that easy for LeBron though. His personality isn’t that and it could cost him another shot at a championship as his Miami Heat are down 0-1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder right now.

In Game 1, LeBron was not the best player. Kevin Durant was. This Heat team isn’t good enough to win games when LeBron isn’t the best player in the game.

LeBron should be guarding Durant more in Game 2. That doesn’t mean Durant will get shutdown but he should make things harder for him.

LeBron has been asked to do so much for the Heat and he will once again be asked to do more in stopping Durant.

The Heat better figure things out soon because coming back from down 0-2 isn’t easy for anyone.

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat 105-94 in Game 1 while Bosh scored 10 points to go with five rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench.

Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday it’s more important that Bosh be put in positions to be aggressive than whether he’s on the court when the game starts. And Bosh is simply amused by all the interest his status is getting.

“I didn’t know it was such a big deal, the starting thing. I just thought people were happy to see me out there,” Bosh joked.

via ESPN.com

The Heat didn’t exactly miss Bosh as a starter in Game 1 since they jumped out to an early lead thanks to good floor spacing with their small lineup.

Bosh could still start with the Heat remaining small if he replaces Udonis Haslem as the starting center which would allow Shane Battier to continue starting.

The Heat are going to need more from Bosh to beat the Thunder in this series whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Spoelstra announced an hour before Game 1 that Bosh would be coming off the bench and he will likely make the announcement around the same time before Game 2 which tips at 9 p.m. EST on ABC tonight.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat 105-94 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals to jump out to a 1-0 series lead.

It was a crucial win for the Thunder. When the team with home court has won Game 1 of the NBA Finals, they have gone on to win the series .796 percent of the time.

Heading into the NBA Finals, many people thought that most of the pressure was on the Miami Heat. They may not have been the Vegas favorites but they made it to the Finals last year, are more experienced than the Thunder, and of course have LeBron James whom the pressure always seems to find.

But on the road for the first two games in a 2-3-2 format, the pressure wouldn’t normally be on the Heat if not for those other circumstances. They really need to just steal one of the first two games of the series on the road against a team that had never been to this kind of stage before.

If you can survive the first two games on the road and possible win one, getting three straight at home is a huge advantage. Not only do you have the chance to win three in a row but it can completely change the feel of a series and swing momentum back in your favor.

The pressure was really on the Thunder. They need to win the first two games of this series. Losing just one would be almost a death sentence having to then play in Miami for three straight games.

In the first few minutes and first half of Game 1, it looked like Miami might have been on their way to winning Game 1.

The Thunder came back though. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook outscored the entire Heat team in the second half and Durant finished the fourth with 17 on his own.

The Thunder basically overcame any stage fright they might have had playing in their first NBA Finals. Durant came out as cool as ever scoring the first eight points of the game for the Thunder including two 3-pointers and he also did a great job containing LeBron on defense.

The Thunder got exactly what they needed from their best player and they’re going to need it again tonight.

The Heat may not be the most consistent team in the NBA but they can bounce back from losses and have games where they look like the best team in the league.

The Heat have the luxury now of being able to adjust to a Game 1 loss. They didn’t do some things they should have and can swing the advantage to their side if they correct those things tonight.

Most notably, LeBron was not guarding Durant for much of the game. Erik Spoelstra used LeBron to do just about everything else on defense. LeBron started out on Kendrick Perkins and was involved a lot in defending OKC’s pick-and-rolls.

This may have taken a little pressure off Durant at certain points of the game, leading to him scoring 36 points relatively easily.

As things may get tougher with LeBron on Durant in Game 2, the rest of the Thunder players will need to step up.

This is another big test for this Thunder team. While taking a somewhat comfortable 1-0 series lead, can they muster up the same intensity necessary to win a very important Game 2 too?

The Thunder haven’t taken any games off all season, let alone in the playoffs. They will come out with the same hunger to win as they did in Game 1.

So the series hasn’t changed much at all yet for the Thunder. Not only was Game 1 a must-win for them but Game 2 is also. They haven’t accomplished anything yet and the important thing is that is how they feel too.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant scored 36 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat 105-94 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Durant scored 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder overcame a 54-47 deficit at halftime.

Russell Westbrook scored 27 points to go with 11 assists and eight rebounds.

LeBron James scored 30 points in the game and went 11-for-24 from the field with nine rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Durant and Westbrook outscored the entire Heat team in the second half 41-40.

Dwyane Wade struggled for the most part in the game with just 19 points and was 7-of-19 from the field.

The Thunder turned the ball over only two times in the second half after committing eight turnovers in the first half.

Miami jumped out to an early lead thanks to some hot 3-point shooting, especially from Shane Battier who made three 3-pointers in the first half.

The Thunder took some time to adjust to the Heat playing small and allowed a lot of open looks in the first half.

James Harden was a nonfactor in the game for the most part scoring just five points with three assists. He picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter and didn’t play much in the final minutes.

Thabo Sefolosha assumed the role from Harden and also defended LeBron down the stretch, doing a nice job holding him to seven points in the fourth quarter.

Durant also did a nice job on LeBron keeping him from attacking the paint much by playing off him and enticing him to take jumpers.

The Thunder shot 51.9 percent from the field as a team and won by 11 despite missing seven free throws.

The slow start was expected for this Thunder team never having been to the NBA Finals but they continue to impress with their ability to adjust, come back and appear mature in these pressure situations.

Chris Bosh did not start the game and scored only 10 points in 32 minutes for the Heat.

Game 2 will be Thursday in Oklahoma City at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.

Kevin Durant leads the Thunder with 13 points as the Thunder trail 54-47 at halftime of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.

LeBron James has 14 points, four rebounds and two assists but has had a hard time scoring when Durant has been guarding him.

The Miami Heat jumped out to a lead because of 3-point shooting. They’ve made 6-of-10 threes in the game as Shane Battier has made 3-of-4 and has 13 points.

Russell Westbrook has struggled from the field starting 0-for-4 and has nine points and six assists.

Derek Fisher provided a nice lift off the bench with six points for OKC.

The Thunder missed a lot of good looks and let Miami get a lot of which they made most. The Thunder will need to tighten up on defense and continue to move the ball on offense to come back in this game and avoid going down 0-1.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat matchup is a dream come true for NBA fans as it pits arguably the two most talented teams against each other with the two most talented players.

LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant.

It’s the matchup we always wanted: the two best players in the NBA to lead their teams to the NBA Finals and square off.

One of the special things about this matchup is that LeBron and Durant play the same position. They will be guarding each other throughout the entire series. And each has advantages against the other.

LeBron is of course the ultimate athlete with his strength and power being his greatest advantage. Durant has traditionally struggled somewhat against more physical defenders with LeBron fitting that exact mold.

Durant is taller than LeBron, listed at 6-foot-9 but may be closer to 7-feet according to many NBA players. He can give LeBron trouble using his length. He can play off him on defense and entice LeBron into shooting jumpers.

LeBron is the better all-around player and was the MVP this year rightfully so but he’s not better than Durant at everything. Here are their numbers from the regular season and then the playoffs.

It’s not that common for the two best players in the NBA to meet in the NBA Finals. It’s also not common for the two best players to play the same position.It doesn’t get much better than that. But is it the best individual matchup in NBA Finals history? It’s closer than you think.

We always hear Bird-Magic as the greatest matchup ever but the truth is those two rarely guarded each other. Not taking anything away from those ‘80s Celtics-Lakers series because they were the best NBA Finals’ ever.

Even looking back in 1991 at Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson matching up. They didn’t quite play the same position or guard each other much either. Magic vs. MJ might get the edge in LeBron vs. Durant in how big the names were, LeBron vs. Durant will be better in a lot of other ways too.

The only matchup in NBA Finals history that really is better than what we are about to see is Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain.

It sounds a little silly already comparing LeBron-Durant to Russell-Wilt but it really could be the beginning of the next great NBA rivalry.

The Thunder aren’t going away for awhile. They look like a team that could be dominating the West for 5-6 more NBA Finals appearances.

The Heat and LeBron are the same way. If the Thunder and Heat manage to meet in the Finals three or four times over the next five years, LeBron-Durant has the potential to turn into the greatest rivalry of all-time.

The first chapter begins Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

The Spurs outscored the Thunder 39-27 in the final period easily erasing the nine-point deficit after three. The Spurs did this by getting into the paint and scoring 16 points there as the Thunder played small ball.

“I think every decision you make, if it doesn’t work out, you say, ‘Why’d you do that?’ and I’m right (there) with you on that,” Scott Brooks said on Monday. “I wish I would have played Serge last night.”

The adjustment to play Ibaka instead of Kendrick Perkins or next to Perkins is not only obvious now but was also during the game when the Spurs were making their run.

But Brooks likes going small probably because he likes the idea of Kevin Durant playing the four. The only problem was that while both teams were playing small, the advantage of Durant at the four was nullified while Stephen Jackson remained matched up with him on defense.

“We’ve done it in the past and have had a lot of success, so you can’t really look back and beat yourself up too much … but I will,” Brooks said. “It was nothing against what Serge did. I thought we would be able to close out the game. Hindsight, looking back now, I wish obviously I wouldn’t have done that.”

This is good news for the Thunder that Brooks is on board with not trying to match the Spurs’ lineup and instead have them try and match up with them.

The Thunder played good enough to beat the Spurs for three quarters in Game 1 and it wasn’t enough. They will need a full game tonight to win as the Spurs also did not play their best overall game in Game 1.

Soobum-Im-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder led the San Antonio Spurs 71-62 after three quarters and looked well on their way toward stealing Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on the road.

Then the Spurs came back. Their offense came alive and the Thunder’s became stagnant, looking like the isolation-heavy late-game offense they’ve been criticized for in the past.

The Thunder losing the game mostly had to do with allowing 39 points in the fourth quarter. But they weren’t playing their best defensive lineup as Serge Ibaka sat the entire fourth and they still could have won the game or kept it closer had they executed down the stretch themselves.

The Thunder started the fourth small and finished it the same way with Kevin Durant playing the four. They begin the fourth with Fisher-Harden-Cook-Durant-Collison. So basically, no chance against the Spurs’ pick-and-roll as Durant and Harden really don’t enjoy rotating over.

The Thunder begin the quarter trying to get Harden going who was struggling up to this point. They run his pick-and-roll play from the right wing on the first two possessions. He makes a pull-up jumper on the first then on a very similar situation, tries to drive at Tiago Splitter and picks up a charge on the next play.

The Spurs are defending the pick-and-roll by allowing the ball handler to freely come off the pick and sagging into the paint to prevent them getting a good angle to attack the rim. The Thunder did not see this kind of defense against the pick-and-roll in the first round and weren’t sure what to do at times it seemed.

Harden found himself open for a lot of midrange jumpers, a shot he rarely takes. Harden only attempted 1.1 shots per game from between 10-to-23 feet in the regular season. This helped result in Harden pressing and forcing contested layups over prepared bigs.

On the next possession, the Thunder post-up Durant on the left side about 12-feet out. This is the only time they would do this in the quarter. Durant finds Collison cutting in the paint here but Collison misses a tough shot at the rim.

Stephen Jackson was guarding Durant the entire fourth quarter and is getting a lot of credit for the way he defended him. It was a lot like how he defended Dirk Nowitzki back in 2007 when the Warriors knocked of the Mavericks in the first round. He was getting up into him closely and allowing Durant to attempt to drive left.

Durant is much worse driving left when he is looking to attack the rim. He always prefers to drive right to get a layup. When Durant goes left, he is much more efficient going for a pull-up or stepback jump shot.

Russell Westbrook now checks in for Daequan Cook as the Spurs are now within five points.

Westbrook has also been relatively struggling at this point in the game. They run a play where Durant comes up from a downscreen to pick for Westbrook at the top of the key. This usually leaves room for Westbrook to look to attack on this play but Tony Parker defends it well and contests a Westbrook pull-up that he misses.

The Thunder try and get Westbrook going again on the next possession and let him isolate at the top of the key. He misses a wild runner going to his left. Westbrook is always better when able to play on offense under control and look for his pull-up. The Spurs enticed him to attack the rim a lot in Game 1 and he became out of control and inefficient.

The Thunder get a rare second half transition opportunity next but Harden doesn’t take advantage and charges on Gary Neal. Harden didn’t have a ton of room here and it was clear Neal was prepared for Harden to eurostep to his left. He anticipated it to draw the charge. Harden was out of rhythm all game and should have seen to eurostep to his right and would have finished the layup.

On the next possession, Westbrook misses another erratic layup attempt going to his left. The Thunder decide here to try and go back to Harden some in the pick-and-roll.

Harden runs a pick-and-pop with Durant and passes Durant which he almost always does on this play. Harden is pretty much never looking to drive when he runs the pick-and-pop with Durant. He may not like the angles he gets because Durant never really sets a solid screen and just pops.

Durant ends up having to isolate again with Jackson doing a good job of crowding him beyond the 3-point line. Durant tries to clear some space and catches Jackson with an elbow and the foul is called on Durant.

The Thunder do not go to Harden as the ball handler in pick-and-rolls the rest of the game now with 7:41 left and the score tied at 73.

The Thunder try Westbrook getting a pick from Durant at the top of the key twice more over the next three possessions. Westbrook is in driving mode now and the Thunder do end up scoring twice off his passes.

The Thunder then have two possessions where the play turns into a Durant isolation when that wasn’t totally the design of the play. This is when the standing around and lack of ball movement really begins.

Durant isn’t even inefficient when this happens and he got fouled a lot in the quarter which isn’t all bad but it seemed to affect the Thunder offense in that they were now just standing around watching. Westbrook and Harden knew they didn’t have it and were completely deferring to Durant.

The Thunder were forced into nothing but half court offense down the stretch and with Harden not playing well, it became a huge issue. They weren’t getting stops so they weren’t getting fast break opportunities and since they were playing so small, they weren’t getting any offensive rebounds either.

This is when people say the Thunder hurt because they don’t have someone to post-up. It’s not that they don’t have someone, it’s that they don’t go to him in the post. Durant had an advantage over Jackson inside and they only posted him up once. Jackson was doing a nice job on Durant but fouled him four times in the quarter.

The Thunder should have posted up Durant even though he’s not totally comfortable down there yet and that isn’t their identity yet. It was an adjustment that would have countered the way Jackson was defending Durant and could have gotten Durant a few more trips to the line and kept the game within striking distance.

The Thunder did not adjust though in the fourth quarter whether it was posting Durant up or bringing back Ibaka. The adjustments will have to wait for Game 2 and if they don’t come then, this series could end up being a short one for OKC.

Soobum-Im-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost 101-98 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in San Antonio Sunday night.

The Thunder led 71-62 after three quarters but quickly saw that lead evaporate in the fourth and they would fall behind by as many as 10 points.

James Harden did not have his best game severely struggling from the field and was unable to get to the free throw line even once for the first time all season.

Harden finished with 17 points and was 7-for-17 from the field but made two threes in the final minute when the game was already decided to inflate those numbers.

Harden is maybe the most important player for the Thunder and their championship hopes. When he raises his game, the Thunder take on another level of awesome. We saw it in Game 4 against Dallas and we saw it twice in the Lakers series.

Coming into this series the pick-and-roll game for both teams was going to be a crucial point. Harden is the Thunder’s best pick-and-roll offensive player but last night the Spurs did a great job of containing him.

The Spurs’ plan of attack was to allow the Thunder ball handler to get around the screen and not hedge out. The big man, either Tim Duncan or Tiago Splitter, would then allow space for the Thunder ball handler luring them often to drive out of control at the rim.

The Spurs’ big men did a great job of not fouling and you could tell Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were not ready for this and thus did not find any rhythm in these spots.

Harden especially was less than his usual self in the pick-and-roll game. He was looking to draw contact and get to the line early on like he did against Dallas and the Lakers but he was not getting calls and deservedly so as the Spurs were in great position and ready for Harden’s moves.

Harden likes going left the most and the Spurs know this. When Harden was in spots where he was looking to get to the rim you saw the Spurs defenders shadowing him and anticipating his eurostep to the left.

Harden said after the game that the Spurs didn’t do anything special on defense to take him away. He said he just was missing layups and that was it.

There is some truth to that for not just Harden but the entire Thunder team. They were missing shots they normally get more often than usual and that eventually led to the entire offense getting out of rhythm and turning so isolation heavy.

The Spurs won Game 1 and won the battle within the game taking the Thunder out of their rhythm. But Oklahoma City knows what to expect now and they should adjust accordingly for Game 2 and have a better offensive game at least.

Harden will continue to be the most important player in this series for the Thunder. If he can return to the form he was in the first two rounds the Thunder will win this series.

Soobum-Im-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder led 71-62 after three quarters in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in San Antonio. They had a great chance to steal one on the road and blew it.

The Spurs outscored the Thunder 39-27 in the fourth as they made a ton of their field goals at the rim.

Serge Ibaka only played 22 minutes in the game and didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter. Scott Brooks decided to go small more than usual and it ended up costing the Thunder the game.

The obvious adjustment as the Spurs were coming back in the fourth was to bring Ibaka back in. When the other team is relentlessly getting shots at the rim, you bring in the best shot blocker in the NBA.

The Thunder defense is much worse when they go small with Kevin Durant at the four. The only reason Brooks likes to go small is that he feels their offense improves with Durant at the four but that wasn’t the case last night either.

The Thunder became stagnant down the stretch as Russell Westbrook and James Harden did not have it going. The offense turned into nothing but isolation for Durant and while he was forced to play the entire second half and try and be the guy rotating over all the time on defense it just became too much.

The Thunder also had nine offensive rebounds in the first half and none in the second. As they weren’t hitting their shots, another reason to come back with Ibaka would have been to help crash the glass.

One of the possible reasons why Brooks elected to remain with the small lineup may have been because San Antonio was playing small with a lineup of Parker-Neal-Ginobili-Jackson-Duncan. That means Ibaka would have had to match up with a spot-up shooter, either Neal or Jackson, and Brooks maybe didn’t like the idea of that.

In a series, when one team is dictating lineup decisions or style of play, it always bodes well for that team. It would have been tough to cover all of the shooters with Ibaka on the floor with Kendrick Perkins but the Spurs would have had to adjust on the other end of the floor too. The Thunder were going to sacrifice something in this matchup no matter what.

People are going to point to Perkins being on the floor instead of Ibaka but that really wasn’t the problem. Perkins is a better post defender than Ibaka and that’s why Brooks had him out there instead.

Nick Collison may have been a better choice than Perkins to some as well but they give up a lot of rebounding when Collison is in so that totally would not have solved their problem either.

Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefolosha were the ones getting run instead of Ibaka. Fisher and Sefolosha both had good nights and that is also possibly why Brooks was okay staying with them.

The Thunder’s best lineup to close games is one we rarely see. It’s the obvious Durant-Westbrook-Harden trio with Ibaka and Collison. Instead, the Thunder are usually either small with Fisher or Perkins instead of Collison.

The Spurs run more pick-and-rolls than almost anyone and having the best pick-and-roll defenders on the floor is really important if the Thunder are going to win this series. Collison is the best at defending the pick-and-roll and Ibaka is the best at coming over for weak side blocks.

The Thunder are capable of winning this series but last night we didn’t really see the Thunder. That’s why it’s hard to take this Game 1 completely serious. Sure, the Spurs executed great down the stretch but we knew they would. It’s all about how the Thunder combat the Spurs’ offense.

They dropped the ball in Game 1 remaining small and it cost them an extremely important game. Without home court, the Thunder will have to win at least one in San Antonio to win the series.

If they can steal Game 2 then they’d need to win three straight against the Spurs if they also plan to protect home court. The Spurs have now won a franchise-best 19 straight games and haven’t lost since April 11.

It’s easy to overreact after one game in a series and it’s easy to have a hard time imagining a team adjusting well enough to win right after a loss.

The Thunder have the tools though. This team has surprised all year long with their growing maturity and path toward becoming a champion. Winning Game 2 in San Antonio is part of them taking the next step.

Soobum-Im-US PRESSWIRE

The San Antonio Spurs erased a nine-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to come back and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Sunday night.

The Spurs scored 39 points in the fourth quarter after trailing 71-62 after three quarters.

Manu Ginobili spearheaded the comeback and Spurs’ offense in general with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting off the bench.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points and 10 rebounds but didn’t make a field goal in the fourth quarter.

Russell Westbrook and James Harden didn’t have it going on the night and that really cost the Thunder down the stretch as they became very one-dimensional and isolation-heavy.

Westbrook scored 17 points with five rebounds and five assists in the game but was 7-for-21 from the field and just 1-of-2 at the free throw line.

Harden uncharacteristically didn’t attempt any free throws in the game and finished with 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting.

The Thunder decided to go small a lot in the game and overall did not have much success doing so aside from a short stretch to finish the third quarter.

The Spurs were able to take advantage of the Thunder’s weakened help side defense in the paint when they were small and really attacked the rim with a lot of success.

The Thunder got out to a slow start in the game but got back into it behind a lot of energy on defense. They forced 14 turnovers in the first half and just two in the second.

Tony Parker had a quiet night for San Antonio with just 18 points and six assists but hit a few big shots late.

The Spurs went 8-for-24 on threes in the game and credit the Thunder defense for actively contesting a lot of those attempts.

The Spurs outrebounded the Thunder 50-43 in the game. The Thunder had nine offensive rebounds in the first half and none in the second.

Game 2 will be Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. EST on TNT.

The Thunder and Spurs are playing better than anyone in the NBA and will provide fans with some fantastic matchups. Here at Thunderous Intentions we’ve already previewed the James Harden-Manu Ginobili matchup and Russell Westbrook-Tony Parker matchup.

Soobum-Im-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan round out the teams’ big three’s and how they compare in this series will also be very important in deciding the outcome.

Durant and Duncan won’t guard each other but the production of each and what it means to their teams are similar. Both teams rely on Durant and Duncan as their two most established stars for their consistency and ability to take over at times (in different ways now).

Durant had a near MVP-season this year if it wasn’t for LeBron James. He led the league in scoring for the third straight season averaging 28.0 points per game and also averaged a career-high 8.0 rebounds per game.

Durant didn’t score the most he ever has but part of that was that he didn’t need to score as much as his team improved around him and he did up his shooting numbers posting a career-high .610 true shooting percentage.

Duncan is past his prime. This is no secret. But his play this season and especially lately still leaves him as one of the best big men in the game. He averaged 15.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game this season in just 28.2 minutes per game.

Duncan has picked up his game in the playoffs now averaging 17.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks as the Spurs are 8-0 so far in the postseason.

If either Durant or Duncan is playing less than their averages in this series, the other team is suddenly in a great position. Durant’s level of play is easier to tell with numbers while Duncan’s impact doesn’t show up as much in those ways.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

In three games against the Spurs this season, Durant only averaged 22.7 points per game and shot .468 percent from the field. That is well below par for Durant but don’t expect to see those numbers in this series.

The Thunder didn’t play very well against the Spurs this season overall. This Thunder team is much better now with how they are playing in the playoffs and are doing a better job of getting Durant into rhythm.

Despite Durant’s overall lower numbers against San Antonio this year, the Spurs aren’t going to have an easy job containing him. Durant got many open looks against the Spurs in those three games and has the ability to get those looks on catch-and-shoots and post-ups.

The Spurs play great team defense but Durant is a huge mismatch problem for them. The Thunder have gone to Durant in the post more in the postseason although didn’t too much in the Lakers series because of Metta World Peace. Against San Antonio they will be able to and a “playoff-level engaged” Durant should be able to produce down there.

Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Stephen Jackson should draw the assignment of sticking Durant for most of this series. They are all fine defenders in their own right but Durant is much taller than either of them and they aren’t necessarily the physical type either that can cause Durant to struggle.

Expect easy looks for Durant or at least easier looks than what he got against the Lakers in this series.

If the Spurs go zone, and they probably will some, that’s only a good thing for Durant. The Thunder are one of the best teams in the NBA at attacking a zone and Durant is probably the best zone offensive player in the league because of his ability to easily shoot over one.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

While Durant’s greatest impacts will come on offense, Duncan is more about his defense and the way he defends the Thunder’s pick-and-roll game will be critical.

The Thunder run Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Durant in pick-and-rolls all of the time. This means Duncan will have a lot of responsibility coming out hedging and defending those three.

If the Thunder get into a good offensive flow they will be able to attack the Spurs’ defense and Duncan in particular with greater ease. If Duncan is very active and able to effectively force the Thunder ball handlers out of their rhythm then advantage Spurs.

Duncan is also pretty much the lone rim protector for San Antonio. He is one of the great shot blockers of all-time but it will be as hard as ever protecting the rim against this Thunder team.

Durant and Harden will certainly have moments throughout the series where they are able to get into the lane and score and it will be up to Duncan to make those looks tough ones.

On offense, Duncan will have to deal with Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka mostly. Duncan won’t be asked to post-up as much as he used to but the Spurs will still certainly go to it some.

The Thunder have some of the best post defense in the NBA and Duncan struggled from the field against the Thunder in the regular season and shot just .357 percent against them and averaged 13.3 points.

Durant and Duncan will not be matched up much if at all in this series but keep an eye on how each is playing in comparison to see which team has the upper hand. If either of them has a poor series then that will be devastating for their team.

Duncan has shown to still have the potential for “throwback Duncan” games these playoffs and if he’s throwing up 20-14-5 games then OKC will have a very tough time winning.

Durant is still sort of yet to have that breakout playoff series where he just simply goes off. It may be his time now as the Spurs aren’t totally equipped to make it too difficult for him. If we’re looking at 37-9-5 nights from Durant then the Thunder will not be losing many games, definitely not four.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will present each other with many interesting matchups in the Western Conference Finals beginning Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. EST.

The most interesting matchup may be the point guard battle between Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker.

Westbrook and Parker as point guards are the two players that really make their respective offenses go and each had great seasons this year as they were both recently named to the All-NBA Second Team.

Westbrook averaged 23.6 points and 5.5 assists in the regular season while shooting a career-high .457 percent from the field. In the playoffs, Westbrook is averaging 24.1 points and 4.4 assists and shooting .472 percent from the floor.

Parker had an MVP-like campaign with the Spurs averaging 18.3 points and 7.7 assists. In the playoffs, he’s averaging 19.1 points and 7.1 assists.

Westbrook has the better numbers overall and is the more complete player but Parker will be an extremely tough matchup for Westbrook. Against the Thunder in the regular season, Parker averaged 23.7 points and 7.7 assists including a 42-point night.

Westbrook isn’t a true point and Parker is. Veteran point guards like Parker or Chris Paul are the points who have given Westbrook the most trouble this season.

Westbrook has the tools to be a great defender but doesn’t always use them the right way especially against someone like Parker who is so great in pick-and-rolls. Westbrook tends to over anticipate and gamble too much allowing Parker to assess and attack the best possible spot.

That was the regular season though. Westbrook has turned it up in the playoffs most notably with his defense against Jason Terry in the first round. Granted, Terry isn’t the same type of player as Parker but Westbrook still showed an ability to totally commit his athleticism on defense to completely take away another player.

Soobum Im-US PRESSWIRE

This will also be Westbrook’s number one priority against Parker and the Spurs. If Parker can be contained and Westbrook can win that battle, the Thunder will be in prime position to take the series.

With all of the talk surrounding the Spurs’ offense, few people are mentioning the problem San Antonio will have matching up with Westbrook’s offensive arsenal.

Westbrook averaged 22.3 points and 5.7 assists against the Spurs in the regular season and should be able to up those numbers in this series.

Parker simply can’t handle Westbrook. That’s ok to an extent because the Spurs are such a great team and will rely on all five players to lockdown Westbrook but that puts the Thunder at a huge advantage.

The players that give Westbrook the most trouble are bigger defenders. When Westbrook doesn’t feel his defender is near his athletic equal, he will think it’s time to abuse that defender and more often than not does just that.

The first thing Westbrook will look to do in every game is get his midrange pull-up jump shot going. He looks for this in transition and occasionally in the half court.

The Spurs can game plan all they want to stop this but the results are always controlled by Westbrook. He can get to any spot on the court because he is a superior athlete to all and the elevation on his jumper makes a contest basically irrelevant.

If Westbrook finds a rhythm, San Antonio is in trouble. If the Spurs can get lucky and have Westbrook not hitting his jump shot, he goes into attack mode where he is less efficient and that gives the Spurs more of an advantage, although he may be able to have more success attacking against San Antonio than he did against the Lakers.

Both Westbrook and Parker will look to establish their pace and their rhythm early in Game 1. With the game on the road it becomes even more important for Westbrook to find his if the Thunder are going to steal one of the first two in San Antonio.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder will play Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on TNT.

The Thunder finished off the Lakers in five games last Monday and have been eager ever since to get back on the court.

Durant and the Thunder have a lot of time to prepare for the Spurs who are playing as well as any team left in the playoffs right now. Durant is getting frustrated with all of the questions the media has for him about stopping the Spurs.

“I’m just going to play my game,” Durant said. “I can’t really think about how those guys are going to defend me. They’re a tough defensive group. But every question is about how the Spurs are going to come and how the Spurs are going to play. But you got to ask me how we’re going to come at them. We’re a tough team as well. We come out and play hard. We have a lot of weapons as well. I know they’re the No. 1 seed, they’re a tough group and they haven’t lost in a couple of months but I think that we bring another dimension to the table as well. And we can come out and compete.”

Durant is right to feel this way. Everyone has been jumping on the Spurs’ bandwagon recently and rightfully so but the Thunder do seem to be getting overlooked some in this matchup.

This is not how it usually goes either. The Spurs are the team that is supposed to get overlooked while the Thunder get all of the attention because they have star power.

Everyone loves the Spurs now and wants to pretend like the Thunder are still this young team like they were last year in the playoffs that can’t beat San Antonio like when they struggled against them in the regular season this year.

This Thunder team is different now. They are battle tested and proven in these playoffs. How come no one wants to talk about how they won eight of nine against the two teams that won the last three NBA titles?

The Spurs aren’t exactly battle tested yet in these playoffs and in a way haven’t even needed to play playoff basketball yet. They swept the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers, two teams that they match up extremely well with.

It’s not to take anything away from what the Spurs have done. You can’t blame them for easily sweeping two teams but there is something valuable in how the Thunder have won some of their games so far in the playoffs.

This is a team that is figuring it out and can win close games. They know their identity and that’s a scary thing when you think about their talent.

The series promises to be the best yet in these playoffs, that’s for sure. It just got even better now that Durant feels like he has a chip on his shoulder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will begin the Western Conference Finals this coming Sunday at 8:30 p.m. EST.

It is a very highly touted matchup between the two teams that are playing better than anyone else in the NBA right now. Combined they have lost just one game in the playoffs so far.

There will be many great matchups in the series beginning with maybe one of the most important: James Harden and Manu Ginobili.

Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Harden came into the league in 2009 and was always compared to Ginobili. Both are left-handed and have very similar styles of play and skill sets. Harden is blossoming into an All-Star now in his third season while Ginobili is on the decline but still very much a star in his own right.

Harden and Ginobili are also two of the best sixth men in the history of the NBA. Both could start but their teams need them to come off the bench to really hit their potentials.

Harden played in 62 games for the Thunder this season and averaged 16.8 points per game, 3.7 assists and had a career-high true shooting percentage of .660.

Harden has picked up his game in the playoffs most noticeable in his aggressiveness getting to the line. He averaged 6.0 free throw attempts per game in the regular season and is getting to the line 7.9 times per game in the playoffs.

Ginobili played just 34 games this season and actually began the season as a starter before returning to his more comfortable role off the pine. He averaged just 12.9 points (lowest since 2004) and 4.4 assists with a true shooting percentage of .668.

Ginobili, while capable of turning it up in the playoffs, hasn’t needed too yet for the Spurs and is scoring only 11.3 points per game in the playoffs but playing just 26.3 minutes per game.

Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

Harden and Ginobili will play huge roles in this upcoming series. The Thunder really rely on Harden to lead their second unit and sometimes even get them back into the game.

The Thunder usually have an advantage when their bench is in mainly because of Harden but the Spurs probably have the best bench in the NBA and the best depth of any team in the league.

So the matchup is really Harden vs. Ginobili and the entire Spurs bench. Harden is a one man show out there for the Thunder while the Spurs get it done by committee.

While Harden may not be able to match the Spurs production himself, it will still be vitally important for him to at least keep it close and get into a rhythm himself.

One of the secrets about the Spurs that not many people are talking about (which is understandable since they haven’t lost a game since April 11) is that they aren’t the greatest defensive team. The Spurs don’t have what we’d call a “championship” defense.

They’ve dominated in the playoffs largely because of how efficient their offense is. Their defense isn’t bad, but it’s not what’s won them games so far.

Handling the Thunder offense is going to be a brand new challenge for the Spurs and handling Harden in general may be impossible for them.

In three games against San Antonio this season, Harden averaged 19.3 points and shot .594 percent from the field. He’s going to be able to get into good rhythm in this series and that’s not a good thing for the Spurs.

The greatest advantage that the Thunder have against the Spurs is that their big three should be able to “get theirs” pretty easily and starting with Harden.

What we’re going to see in this series will be different from what we’ve seen so far for both teams.

The Spurs will be up against a team that will be able to match their offensive fire power or at least come very close. The Thunder will be playing against a veteran team who is going to come out and accomplish just about everything they want to.

It is hard to imagine saying that James Harden will have a big series and the Thunder will not win. But the Spurs are the only team who could probably withstand a Harden storm and it will be coming.

The Thunder were playing their first game in nine days after sweeping the Dallas Mavericks in the first round and they did not look rusty at all. It was clear they would be eager to get on the courts but sometimes that can result in less than sharp play.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were more than up for the challenge last night though. They had a game plan coming into the game and executed it to perfection. They shot extremely well from the field but they worked hard to get good looks and they were shots they usually are hitting.

The amazing thing is that it felt like the Lakers didn’t play that bad, at least on offense. They were doing a good job of getting Andrew Bynum going early inside and they were also taking advantage of the mismatches Metta World Peace presented.

While this was going on and the Lakers were warming up into their game, the Thunder was surging past them, focused and poised for the kill.

It’s no secret now how talented this Thunder team is. They are young but have three bonafide stars in Durant, Westbrook and Harden. They are three of the best scorers in the entire league and can all do it in slightly different ways.

They’re surrounded by great role players who know their role very well. Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka have no problems playing the Lakers bigs straight up and Thabo Sefolosha can essentially lock up Kobe Bryant on the perimeter.

Kobe shot just 30 percent against the Thunder in the regular season and the defense of Sefolosha has a ton to do with it. Kobe doesn’t have the same first step he used to and Sefolosha has the “student of the game” feel to him the way he approaches his assignment with Bryant.

The great thing about the Lakers usually is they have three players that are extremely difficult to handle on offense. Not for the Thunder though. This is the biggest reason why OKC may sweep LA.

The Thunder come to play every night. They have all season long and that’s one of the best things about this team. They’re good and know they’re good and aren’t interested in wasting any time not getting better.

A loss is a loss even if it’s by 29 points. If there’s a team that can probably shrug off this kind of loss it’s probably the Lakers but the Thunder smell blood right now. They know how to beat this team and take advantage of their strengths.

So that’s what’s going to happen. OKC will win this series and do so impressively because that’s who they are. There are still some legitimate doubts about the Thunder winning a title this year but they won’t come up during this series.

The Thunder thrashed the Lakers to the tune of a 29-point blowout victory.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook made it look easy scoring 25 and 27 points, respectively. They combined to go 18-of-31 from the field and 13-for-14 at the line. Westbrook also finished with nine assists and seven rebounds.

The Thunder were focused from the start and it showed as they turned the ball over a franchise-low four times in the game.

Kendrick Perkins started the game and looked fine until he seemed to reinjure his hip on a dunk in the third quarter and left for the locker room.

Oklahoma City started off strong but the Lakers countered early taking advantage of their size down low.

Andrew Bynum got started early with 10 points and five rebounds in the first quarter. He would finish the game with 20 points and 14 boards.

Metta World Peace heard the boos once he entered the arena but it seemed to motivate him more than anything as he hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter and played well getting position down low over smaller Thunder defenders.

World Peace did have an incident during the second half when he got tangled up with James Harden and took him down with another near elbow to the head.

Harden played great though for the Thunder scoring 17 points and getting to the line to make 9-of-10 free throws.

The greatest strength for the Thunder against the Lakers is that they don’t have to double team Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol. Kobe scored a pedestrian 20 points in the game on 7-of-18 shooting.

It looks as if Thabo Sefolosha will have no problem checking Kobe for the rest of the series and while the Lakers bigs had some success in the game it simply did not faze the Thunder.

Oklahoma City shot extremely well in the game but they were also getting a lot of open shots for them. The Lakers are going to really have to change their defensive game plan to slow down the Thunder who had everything seem so easy on offense.

It’s just one game but a 29-point victory feels like it means more. It was a statement win and a message not just to the Lakers but the entire league. The Thunder aren’t playing around anymore. They’re ready to win a title.

The Thunder and Lakers will play Game 2 Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST.

The Thunder are eager to get back on the court but are also thankful for the rest so that their starting center, Kendrick Perkins, could rest after injuring his hip in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks. It is still uncertain if he will play tonight.

The Thunder have been taking steps very quickly over the past few years toward becoming a true title contender. They made it to the Western Conference Finals last year, swept the defending champs in Round 1 and now will look to take that next step beating the mighty Los Angeles Lakers.

The Thunder are favored in this series and should be. They’ve been one of the best teams all season long really coming to play each and every night while the Lakers are a team known to take nights off.

The Lakers had their ups and downs in their first round series against the Denver Nuggets who took them to seven games. The Lakers were able to take advantage of their considerable size advantage in the final game and close out the pesky, energetic Nuggets.

The Lakers will not have that luxury now in Round 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Big Men

The play of the bigs in this series is going to be one of the most important matchups to watch. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are both All-Star caliber players but don’t always play like it.

The Thunder don’t get much offense from their bigs but Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison are all very vital to the team’s success and will be even more so in this series.

Perkins’ status is still uncertain but very crucial for the Thunder. They traded for Perkins last year for this specific matchup with the Lakers and for his defense on Bynum.

Perkins averaged 26.8 minutes per game in the regular season but played 36.0 minutes per game in three meetings against the Lakers.

Ibaka will also be very important and not just on defense. He led the league in blocks and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting and has had success against the Lakers in the past.

Ibaka had a sort of coming out party is rookie season in the playoffs against the Lakers blocking seven shots in one of the games. Ibaka is always an X-factor for the Thunder and if the Thunder can get him some scoring opportunities as well it will bode well for Ibaka’s confidence on both ends of the floor.

Ibaka had the impossible task of guarding Dirk Nowitzki in Round 1 so it will be somewhat easier checking Gasol now who hasn’t been playing his best ball of late.

In three games against the Lakers this season, Ibaka averaged 12.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.3 blocks. He steps up his game against L.A., there’s no question.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook is going to need to be huge in this series to ensure a Thunder victory. The Lakers do not have the point guards to matchup with Westbrook and he will need to take advantage.

Westbrook had a nice series against Dallas and reverted to sort of a defensive stopper as the series progressed, shutting down Jason Terry. He won’t be asked to play as much defense against the Lakers however.

The litmus test for Westbrook’s game is always his midrange pull-up jump shot. It was on point against Dallas as he noticeably was shooting it with better form. He’s going to be able to get to his spots and take that shot in this series. Whether or not it is going in early on will tell you a lot about how he will play.

When Westbrook is not making that shot he gets out of rhythm and less under control and begins forcing drives and throwing his body at those protecting the paint. He can have success doing this too and getting to the line but it will be a tough challenge against the Lakers and Bynum and Gasol.

We may see Kobe Bryant on Westbrook some in this series too and he did a nice job against him in the last regular season meeting between these teams. Westbrook went 3-for-22 in that game and gets out of sorts against defenders like Kobe or even Dwyane Wade.

It is unlikely however that the Lakers will want to put Kobe on Westbrook too much because they are going to need him to be more efficient on offense.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe shot just 30 percent against the Thunder in the regular season. He’s been playing better of late but the Thunder have more to throw at him than Denver did.

Thabo Sefolosha can play Kobe straight up without a double team which will lure Kobe into becoming a high-volume shooter at times and that’s what Oklahoma City wants.

Kobe was very clutch at the end of the last meeting between these teams and hit a ton of big shots and the Lakers might be able to count on him in situations like that. But since Oklahoma City should be able to contain the Lakers bigs it will be up to Kobe to be a more efficient scorer for them or for the role players to really step up, but that seems even more unlikely.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant vs. Metta World Peace

Kevin Durant is going to be important like he always is for the Thunder but it won’t be the prettiest we see him play, that’s for sure.

Metta World Peace has always done a solid job on Durant and physical defenders usually have the most success against him. Durant really struggled in the playoffs two years ago against World Peace but he has improved in that department since.

The Thunder did a lot of posting up of Durant in the first round and against World Peace that will be a tough thing to rely on. He is in the best shape he has been in awhile and unless referees are really bailing Durant out, it’s unlikely he will be too productive from there. Durant has a long way to go with his post game and he might be more effective looking to score from the perimeter in this series.

Durant – like Westbrook – really struggled from the field in the last game the Thunder played the Lakers. But he got a ton of open jumpers that he normally doesn’t miss. Durant has been more locked in during the postseason and if he’s getting those looks consistently in this series, points will come very easy to him.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Beard

James Harden went to another level in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks scoring 15 points in the final quarter to help the Thunder erase a 13-point deficit and win.

Thunder fans will know though that Harden has been at this level all season. The key is that the Thunder are willing to go to him down the stretch even with Durant and Westbrook on the floor with him.

Harden is certainly the biggest X-factor for the Thunder. We all know what happened the last time he stepped on the floor with Metta World Peace so don’t think Harden won’t be extra motivated in this series.

While Harden was needed to step up against the Mavericks it may not be as necessary against the Lakers mainly because Westbrook should be having a big series offensively. Harden will still be needed to be a reliable 3-point shooter and run the offense well with the second unit.

The Crowd

The Oklahoma City Thunder have the best crowd in the NBA. They aren’t going to be too welcoming toward Metta World Peace when he is announced as a starter for Game 1 either.

This probably won’t do much to World Peace (you know, because he’s insane), but some extra rowdiness will be a great thing for the Thunder players.

The Thunder may not come out as sharp as usual with such a long layoff in between games so having the crowd on another level will be a great advantage for the Thunder to avoid losing one of these first two games.

The Verdict

The Thunder should win this series and if the Lakers didn’t have Kobe and didn’t have the history, no one would be questioning the outcome.

Everything is happening so fast though for the Thunder. They are still so young and no matter how talented you are, there are growing pains. If Kobe can miraculously lead this Lakers squad to upset the Thunder it wouldn’t be totally unbelieveable.

That shouldn’t happen though. Not to this Thunder team. They may still have some growing pains ahead of them before they can win a title but that’s not going to be now.

After beating these Lakers on the grand stage that it will be on, whoever has to play OKC in the next round should be a lot scared of them.

Perkins strained his right hip in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks on May 5 – an injury that would normally have a player out for 10-14 days. It is nine days later now and the Thunder are finally going to play again, with or without their starting center.

“He went through some of the drills (Sunday) in practice,” Brooks told The Oklahoman. “He’s taken a step in that direction (starting on Monday). We’ll see how he responds after the day’s work tomorrow morning. We can assess that better. He did participate in some of the work today.”

Perkins is the definition of tough so if there is any chance that he can play, he probably will. At his position too he may be alright at 75-80 percent because the Thunder don’t ask too much from him aside from banging bodies down low.

Perkins will be needed in this series against the Lakers maybe more than against any other team. The Thunder traded Jeff Green to the Celtics last season for Perkins for this specific matchup against L.A.

Nick Collison thinks Perkins will be “good to go” and said he “looked good” in practice yesterday.

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World Peace elbowed James Harden in the head at the end of the regular season and was dealt a 7-game suspension for the act. He returned to action for the first time since the incident Saturday night for the Lakers’ Game 7 win against the Denver Nuggets.

World Peace never apologized to Harden in any way unless you count Twitter and still stands by saying it was an accident when it clearly wasn’t.

World Peace now has caused some more stir with his recent comments about Harden and the Thunder.

“I don’t shake hands with substitutes,” World Peace said. “I shake everybody’s hand before the game, but Oklahoma City, they don’t shake hands. Only some of them, but I don’t think they really shake hands before the game. Kendrick Perkins and now (Russell) Westbrook don’t shake hands either. (Russell) used to shake hands, but now he don’t shake hands anymore.”

World Peace thinks he’s making a jab at Harden because he comes off the bench. Like the Sixth Man of the Year winner isn’t talented enough to start in this league or something.

Harden said earlier this week on the Dan Patrick show that he won’t look to shake hands with World Peace before the game either or speak to him at all.

The stage is set for the Thunder and Lakers. There are many storylines and the return of World Peace against this team is at the top of the list.

One thing is for sure is that the Thunder are going to come out very motivated against this team not just because of World Peace. They’ve been on a mission all season and one of the hungriest young teams in the league.

They know that knocking out the Los Angeles Lakers is part of taking that next step to becoming a championship team.

By the end of the series I’m sure that the Lakers and their fans will wish that World Peace would have elbowed Harden just a little bit harder.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Kendrick Perkins has been a crucial part of the Oklahoma City Thunder all season. His value doesn’t always show up in the stat sheet but it’s definitely there.

Perkins injured his right hip in the first quarter of Game 4 vs. Dallas on May 5 and did not return in the game. The injury would normally keep a player out 10-14 days.

The Thunder will play the Lakers in Game 1 of the conference semifinals tomorrow night at 9:30 p.m. EST, Monday, May 14. That’s nine days since the injury making it seem unlikely that Perkins will be at 100 percent tomorrow night.

He could still play though if he’s not at 100 percent as it is playoff basketball. He was last seen Friday afternoon at the Thunder practice walking without crutches and with no noticeable limp. This type of injury would not necessarily make you walk different but when you are in the game running, getting into a defensive stance and banging is when it would be noticeable.

The Thunder made a tough decision last season to trade Jeff Green to Boston to acquire Perkins. They did it for this specific matchup with the Lakers. They lost to Los Angeles the year before in the first round and it was clear that they needed to get bigger to compete with the then two-time defending champs.

In Game 7 against Denver, the Lakers flexed their sizable advantage as Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum combined for 39 points, 35 rebounds (20 offensive) and 10 blocks. Denver doesn’t have the size that Oklahoma City would have even without Perkins but Gasol and Bynum are going to be quite a load to handle either way.

Perkins averaged 26.8 minutes per game this season but against the Lakers three times he averaged 36.0 minutes. He played well against L.A. averaging 6.3 points, 9.0 rebounds (3.3 offensive) and shot .571 percent from the floor.

Bynum averaged 16.3 points, 11.0 rebounds (3.7 offensive) and shot .444 percent from the field against the Thunder this season. Gasol averaged 18.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and shot .465 percent from the field.

The Lakers’ big men produced against the Thunder this season and needed to partly because of Kobe Bryant’s struggles. Kobe averaged 24.3 points against OKC and shot .307 percent from the field.

The Thunder won two of the three meetings this season against the Lakers and nearly swept them falling in double overtime in the final meeting. The shooting percentages of the Lakers big three were all considerably lower than their averages against the Thunder.

Without Perkins, the Thunder would likely start Nazr Mohammed and continue with their rotation bringing Nick Collison off the bench. Expect the Thunder to go small as much as possible too. Gasol usually starts the fourth quarter without Bynum on the floor so expect Scott Brooks to try and take advantage of that lineup by starting Kevin Durant in that quarter as well.

The Thunder will have a much tougher time matching up with the Lakers if they are without Perkins or he is playing much less than 100 percent. They should still be favored to win the series and win it without question.

The Lakers have much bigger issues in terms of matching up with Oklahoma City’s big three and that advantage for the Thunder should be enough for them to win the series.

The Lakers led 3-1 in the series after four games then played very poorly in games 5 and 6 losing each to Denver. The Lakers returned to form in Game 7 and did what they were supposed to do closing out Denver in Staples Center.

The Lakers took advantage of their greatest advantage which was size in Game 7. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum really showed up after essentially no-showing the last two games.

Gasol and Bynum combined for 33 points and 35 rebounds in Game 7 including 20 offensive boards.

Kobe Bryant was relatively quiet in the game scoring 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting but did also have eight assists.

The Thunder have been waiting awhile for this series to start. Oklahoma City beat Dallas in four games and that series ended last Saturday, May 5. The greatest concern for the Thunder is the health of starting center Kendrick Perkins who is still day-to-day and it is unknown if he will play in Game 1.

Game 1 will be Monday night at 9:30 p.m. EST.

The Thunder swept the Dallas Mavericks last Saturday and haven’t played since as they await the winner of the Lakers-Nuggets series.

The Lakers and Nuggets will play Game 6 Thursday night with the Lakers leading that series 3-2. If the Lakers win then Game 1 of the second round will be played Saturday in Oklahoma City.

If they lose then Game 7 of that series will be Saturday and the second round for the Thunder wouldn’t begin until Monday or Tuesday.

The Lakers went into Game 5 at home up 3-1 with a chance to shut the door on the Nuggets but Denver came out strong and survived a close one despite 43 points from Kobe Bryant.

The way that Denver played Game 5 on the road controlling the style of play and getting a big night from JaVale McGee they might as well be favored to win at home for Game 6 and force a Game 7.

The Thunder are fine with waiting as long as possible for the second round to begin because of the injury to Kendrick Perkins in Game 4 against Dallas. Perkins is still listed as day-to-day and may not play in the first few games of the next series.

Perkins was traded for last year specifically so that the Thunder could matchup better with the Lakers and not having them would make life a lot tougher.

Soobum Im-US PRESSWIRE

The San Antonio looked like the best team in the league today. And they might really be just that.

The Spurs won Game 1 at home against the Utah Jazz 106-91 Sunday.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 28 points and eight assists and looked like the MVP-candidate he became this season.

The Spurs are just so fun to watch and play such perfect basketball. Now, they have a great offense this year and their matchup against Utah is a good one since Utah has the worst defense among playoff teams.

Every single player knows their exact role for the Spurs and today they all executed seemingly perfect.

Tim Duncan had a nice throwback game with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Every possession has so much purpose for this team and unless Utah is going to play their very best basketball, the Spurs will win every game in this series.

They should be considered the favorite to win the NBA title right now. They won’t be though and that’s how they like it.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Andrew Bynum recorded a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 103-88.

Bynum scored 10 points to go with 13 rebounds and 10 blocks. The size of the Lakers’ bigs was just too much for the Nuggets to handle today.

Denver was fine beating their defenders off the dribble but with Bynum and Pau Gasol waiting for them they could not capitalize. The Lakers had 15 blocks as a team and held Denver to 35.6 percent field goal shooting.

If Denver is ever able to dictate the pace and tempo of a game against the Lakers they can win but the Lakers’ style is closer to what we always see in the playoffs so don’t expect that to happen enough for the Nuggets to have a real shot.

The Lakers know their identity and while the Nuggets do too to an extent, they don’t have the same kind of talent to execute their game plan well enough.

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and Gasol had 13 points, eight assists and eight rebounds.

Denver is overmatched in this series and the Lakers should easily move on but they are known for being kind of “out of it” now and then so the series may still go six.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City had the toughest time winning their first playoff game of the top three seeds in the West.

But the Thunder are matched up with the defending champion Dallas Mavericks who looked like just that last night.

Kevin Durant’s heroics have been the best part of the playoffs so far but hopefully for the Thunder, they will not need to rely on that to get by the Mavericks in this series.

Assuming Oklahoma City does advance, San Antonio still looks like by far their toughest potential matchup. The Spurs played great in the regular season against the Thunder and have been great overall of late and today.

The way that the Thunder turned up their defense in the fourth quarter tonight is a really good sign though. If Russell Westbrook can play the kind of defense he did last night on Jason Terry for the rest of the playoffs, then the Thunder are looking pretty good.

The Lakers’ weakness of giving up dribble penetration is not an issue against Denver but if they plan Oklahoma City in Round 2, the Thunder will be able to make Los Angeles pay.

The Thunder will play Game 2 at home against the Mavericks tomorrow night at 9:30 p.m. EST on TNT.

Head on over to Air Alamo and Lake Show Life for FanSided’s coverage on the Spurs and Lakers.