With the demolition of the Pelicans by the OKC Thunder in round one, they now get to rest and wait for their opponent in round two. Oklahoma City will be playing the winner of the Clippers and Mavericks matchup.
Both teams have their advantages and disadvantages in a matchup with OKC, but let’s look closer at a matchup with the current 3-2 leader of the series in Dallas.
During the regular season, Oklahoma City won three of their four matchups against the Mavericks, with one of said wins coming by as many as 49 points.
On paper, the one-seeded Thunder seem like clear favorites. One thing to note, however, is that the one game Dallas won was a 35-point blowout against a healthy Thunder team.
This series would be a back-and-forth battle with no obvious favorite. Without a doubt, it would certainly add fuel to the fire of who the league’s Most Valuable Player should be between Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
While the playoffs don’t count toward award voting, all eyes will be on tantalizing guards. They are exactly what this potential series will come down to -- which superstar will be able to put their team on their shoulders the most.
If this is the matchup we see in the Western Conference Semifinals, there are many factors that will go into who wins the series. Here are three pros and cons of the Thunder playing the Mavericks in round two.