That said, the Thunder should prefer the Clippers to move on to Round 2. Leonard and Harden are a scary duo to face, but OKC is equipped with the right perimeter defenders to slow them down. Zubac has had a career season, but Hartenstein is the perfect counterpart against him on the boards and inside the paint.

After sweeping the Grizzlies, the Thunder is lying in wait until either the Clippers or Nuggets emerge as its second-round opponent.

After defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder will now either play the Denver Nuggets or LA Clippers.

The Nuggets and Lakers both gave up big fourth-quarter leads in respective Game 4s while not resting their star players. But only one team escaped with a series-tying win.

After dropping Game 3 and falling behind 2-1 in the series, the Denver Nuggets entered Game 4 with a renewed sense of urgency and physicality. The difference in energy was immediately apparent as they built an early lead and controlled the pace against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Denver Nuggets forced a Game 5 after beating the Los Angeles Clippers, capped by Aaron Gordon’s last-minute dunk off a brilliant assist from Nikola Jokic. After the game, Jokic shared a candid confession about the play.