3 Things to Know Ahead of OKC Thunder-Spurs Game 1

The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder have made it back to this stage for the second time in as many years. This makes the Thunder the first defending champion to survive the second round of the NBA Playoffs since the 2018 Golden State Warriors, who went on to go back-to-back as champions.

San Antonio has burst onto the scene as young superstar Victor Wembanyama lifted the Spurs to a 62-win season good enough for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Wembanyama finished third in NBA MVP voting behind Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This marks the third straight season as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the Thunder, who rattled off 64 wins this season.

It has felt since December that these two teams were on a crash course for the Western Conference Finals and they have arrived here for the most anticipated series in some time. The Spurs found success against the Thunder, going 4-1 in the five-game regular season series. Though with all these being early-season matchups and littered with injuries, it is easy to dismiss the results.

What you can not ignore is how talented both sides are. This series is poised to be a full-length best-of-seven set, which begins on Monday inside the Paycom Center.

OKC Thunder, Jalen Williams, NBA Playoffs, San Antonio Spur — Apr 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams against the Phoenix Suns during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

3 Things to Know About Game 1 of OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Western Conference Finals Series

1) The OKC Thunder are fully healthy

After missing the past six playoff games for the Oklahoma City Thunder and only playing in 33 regular-season tilts, Jalen Williams is off the injury report and fully healthy entering this must-watch Western Conference Finals series.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will need Williams to not only log minutes but look like his old self in this series for the Bricktown Ballers to survive the Spurs matchup. The Thunder should lean on Williams to not only be a shot creator for himself and others but also be a primary option for Wembanyama on the outside.

2) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama NBA MVP storyline

The Oklahoma City Thunder saw Gilgeous-Alexander win his second straight NBA MVP award on Sunday night. He will receive this award in the face of Wembanyama, the third-place finisher who will be opposite of the Thunder superstar in not only this NBA MVP race but the quest for championships for years to come. This adds drama to an already great series.

3) OKC Rotation Questions entering Game 1

With Williams returning to the fold after the emergence of Ajay Mitchell in this Lakers series, after making a key adjustment to his game with his new role as the understudy for the Santa Clara product, it has led to many people to wonder how Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault will deploy his roster against San Antonio.

While the starting lineup can be debated between now and the start of the game, what matters most is the Thunder's minute total and especially who closes out this contest. The Thunder's rotation, against this elite Spurs defense, has to include at least two of the three main ball handlers –– Williams, Mitchell and/or Gilgeous-Alexander –– on the floor at all times. Will Daigneault shorten his rotation, or can the Thunder find enough room to explore what the depths of this rotation can do? Can Jared McCain hold up defensively to justify his sharpshooting? Can Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and Cason Wallace handle the Spurs' force-feeding them 3-point attempts and capitalize? If so –– and if not –- how does that alter the Thunder's rotation? This will be a big storyline in Game 1.

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