Western Conference Finals:
OKC: As expected, the Thunder, led by SGA, have ONCE AGAIN made the Western Conference Finals. It really is no surprise that they haven’t lost a game this entire offseason, gentleman’s sweeping both the Phoenix Suns and the LA Lakers. To be fair, neither of those teams were meant to make it as far as they did in the offseason, with the Suns starting as a play-in team and the Lakers playing without their star, Luka Dončić. While most of the games against the Suns were absolute BLOWOUTS, the Lakers fought to keep the games close, but, in the end, OKC was just too much to handle. LeBron James tried his best to keep the Lakers in the series, but none of his teammates stood up to the challenge. Also, the Lakers’ coaching was HORRIBLE in game four, with Rui Hachimura, who shot 50% from three that game, was kept on the bench in the clutch. Overall, OKC was just too dominant in this series, somehow looking even better than their championship selves.
Spurs vs Timberwolves: Prior to the start of the series, I would have called the Spurs winning in five games, but boy was I surprised! In a shocking upset, Minnesota clinched a 104-102 win in the clutch against San Antonio, leading to questions about their title contention. All of this buzz is mainly due to the fact that Minnesota had lost Donte DiVincenzo, a key three-point specialist, to a torn achilles against the Nuggets, while Anthony Edwards was sidelined that same game with a hyperextended knee. Despite these injuries, the Timberwolves, led by Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels, managed to edge out a win against Denver. What’s more, in an incredible show of resilience, Edwards played in game one against San Antonio, dropping 18 points in 25 minutes of action, all in spite of Wemby breaking records with 12 blocks in the playoffs. In game two, the Spurs ABSOLUTELY showed out against the Wolves, winning the game by 38 points behind its stacked roster of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and De’Aaron Fox. In game three, despite Wembanyama getting ejected for ELBOWING Naz Reid, the Spurs still managed to drag through to a win, putting them up 2-1. After this BRUTAL two-game losing streak and facing their last game in Minnesota, the Timberwolves managed to pull away with a win behind Edwards’ 36 points. In their last game as of writing this, the Spurs retook their lead against the Wolves in a 30-point blowout, with a 27-point bomb from Victor.
My Matchup: Personally, despite the Wolves showing immense amounts of grit and resilience throughout these playoffs, I still have the Spurs in six games. Again, the Wolves have had an amazing run considering that Julius Randle has not been playing like a second option, a key shooter being sidelined, and their star being injured, but the Spurs are just too deep of a roster. Any time the Spurs face an injury, a player playing bad, or foul trouble, their bench is deep enough for the next man to step up. When Wemby was ejected, Fox and Castle contributed on both offense and defense, keeping them afloat to finish the game. After all, how could you lose with a 7-foot-4 demigod on the floor?
Conclusion: It has been known for years that the West has been WAY more competitive in the playoffs than the East, mainly because it features all three MVP finishers (Wembanyama, SGA, and Jokić) alongside several stacked teams. While the postseason is harsh for any Western team, the Timberwolves, especially, have had the short end of the stick, having to go through Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in the first round, Wemby and the Spurs in the second round, and OKC if they somehow beat San Antonio. In the end, the Spurs are the better team in this second round matchup, with their likely ascension to the WCF against OKC being a must-watch. All I can say, ladies and gentlemen, is we have entered the endgame.
