WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:
(1) SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs. (2) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
There are an abundance of reasons why the Thunder should win this series. Kevin Durant is the best scorer in the NBA; Russell Westbrook is one of the most dynamic point guards in recent memory; they just absolutely demolished the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. The list goes on.
There are just as many reasons San Antonio should waltz into the NBA Finals. Eighteen of them, in fact.
The Spurs have the experience the Thunder lack, they have one of the greatest big men in NBA history in Tim Duncan still at the top of his game and have won an astounding 18 consecutive games including a four-game obliteration of the Clippers in the conference semifinals. San Antonio will enjoy the home court-advantage it earned in the regular season while it seeks the franchise’s fifth championship since 1999.
San Antonio will need to find a way to stop Durant and Westbrook, a task that can’t be taken lightly. NBA Coach of the Year Greg Popovich does seem to always find an answer to every riddle, as the Spurs bottled up Blake Griffin and Chris Paul with ease in the conference semifinals. Tiago Splitter and DeJuan Blair will be key in winning the battle in the paint.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
The San Antonio Spurs have become one of the most successful franchises in NBA history with 31 postseason appearances, 17 division championships and four NBA titles. The team also became one of the strongest teams in the league in the late '90s and throughout the 2000s, when they enjoyed one of the best postseason runs in league history.
The Spurs have had a number of notable Hall of Famers take the court in the silver and black, such as George Gervin and Artis Gilmore, both of whom were a huge part of the Spurs' early playoff success of the late '70s and early '80s. However, it wasn't until the team picked up Hall of Fame center David Robinson that their postseason fortunes would change.
The squad won their first championship in 1999, when Robinson teamed with All-Star power forward Tim Duncan to triumph over the New York Knicks in five games. The team would also go on to win a championship in 2003, Robinson's last year in the league.
Despite his departure, the Spurs would capture the NBA title in 2005 and 2007 behind the deadly 3-point shot of guard Manu Ginobli and the precision passing of guard Tony Parker. With the low-post presence of Tim Duncan, it's easy to see why the Spurs continually remain a force to be reckoned with in the postseason.
See also:
NBA Finals tickets
San Antonio Spurs tickets
NBA All-Star Weekend tickets
NBA tickets