The Western Conference Finals on Monday feature a historical heavyweight clash not seen in nearly three decades. The OKC Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs matchup is certainly a historic one. 

The Thunder had a dominant season and led the league with 64 wins. The Spurs, in turn, picked up later in the season and finished with 62 wins. The Conference Finals series will be the first of its kind in almost 30 years. 

This will be the first time two teams with at least 62 wins have faced each other in a playoff series since the 1998 NBA Finals. During the 1998 season, both the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz had topped their respective conferences with 62 wins each.

Michael Jordan’s Bulls won the series 4-2, completing his second three-peat and his sixth championship. 

However, unlike the Jazz and the Bulls, the Thunder and the Spurs are very young teams.

Moreover, unlike Jordan and Malone, the best players on their teams, who were at the end of their careers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama are young stars yet to reach their peak despite having elite individual seasons. 

The previous series marked ends to the Bulls and the Jazz era in the NBA. On the other hand, while the Thunder are the defending champions, the series might mark a new era for Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. 

Stephon Castle Gives An Early Prediction for the Thunder-Spurs Series

As great as the San Antonio Spurs were during the regular season, they were still not considered a legitimate conference contender. Two series later, the Spurs have struggled, but they are ready to fight for their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014. 

Stephon Castle, who led the Spurs in the series-clinching Game 6 victory, predicted a highly competitive Conference Finals series. 

"It's gonna be a hard-fought series, very physical, two teams with high aspirations," Castle said.

"They're playing really well right now. We're playing really well right now. I mean, we're in each other's way of going to the Finals, so I think it'll be a good series."

Compared to the Thunder, who haven’t lost a game in this playoff yet, the Spurs have had a fair share of their struggles so far. They won the Portland Trail Blazers’ series in five games and battled the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.

The Thunder are still favorites to win it all, but it is not expected to be an easy series for them. Moreover, given the Spurs’ 4-1 record against the Thunder in the regular season, it won’t be surprising if the defending champions exit before the Finals.

Do you think Wemby and the Spurs can make it past SGA and the Thunder to the NBA Finals? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Nandjee Ranjan