The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to stop the Spurs, who have won 18 straight games, as they begin the Western Conference Finals on Sunday in San Antonio.
Leave a comment SAN ANTONIO â€" Cries of “Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!†roared through Chesapeake Energy Arena periodically as the Thunder dispatched the Los Angeles Lakers during the Western Conference semifinals.
Russell Westbrook takes a shot between San Antonio’s Tony Parker, left, and Tim Duncan on March 16 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. The Spurs won that game, 114-105. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman Archives
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And when the deed was determined, never once did you hear the chant switch to “Beat S.A.!†or “Beat the Spurs!†or “Beat SanTone.â€
And you won’t. The San Antonio Spurs are not the National Basketball Association’s glamour team. They simply are the NBA’s best team.
Glamour, the Thunder can take or leave. Best? That’s what the Thunder aims for, starting at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the Western Conference Finals at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
The Spurs, who overtook the Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West playoffs, have won 18 straight games, including four-game sweeps of the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Spurs are 29-2 since March 17.
“We have a great opportunity ahead of us,†said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “We know it’s a very tough challenge. They’re the best basketball team in the league. It’s been like six or seven weeks, and they haven’t lost a game.†(April 11 was the Spurs’ last loss.)
“They’re good. They got a great coach. They got great players and amazing role players that understand their role, and they do it well.â€
The Spurs have won four of the last 13 NBA titles. Tim Duncan has been on all four title teams, and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been on three of the four.
Meanwhile, the Thunder counters with much-younger stars. Its four best players â€" Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka â€" all are under 24 years old.
“We’re a group that’s been together for four or five years,†Durant said. “They’ve been together for 15 years. Those guys, man, they know each other inside and out. They have so many little plays that they run that get guys layups and open shots. We admire them.
“They’re a group that we looked up to when we were coming up. Losing 15 games in a row, we looked at the Spurs and said, ‘We want to get there one day.’â€
But Durant says don’t discount the Thunder’s continuity. Its four young guns have been together three years now, since Harden and Ibaka joined the squad as rookies.
“We know each other inside and out as well,†Durant said. “We’re still, of course, learning each and every single day. But we’re getting it. We just got to continue to keep growing.â€
Game 2 is Tuesday night. Then the series moves to Oklahoma City for Game 3 on Thursday night and Game 4 on Saturday night.
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