The Thunder Can't Afford Extended Rest To Slow Them Down

The Thunder have enjoyed a well-deserved break after their second-round sweep, but they can't let it affect how they start the Western Conference Finals.

May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault instructs players in game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City can’t let its time off be a disadvantage.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are preparing for the Western Conference Finals, and now finally have an opponent. The San Antonio Spurs finished off the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, to take the series 4-2, and punch their ticket to the conference finals for the first time since 2017. 

The series is set to start on Monday night, and Oklahoma City will have a considerable rest advantage after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in its own second-round matchup. However, the Thunder can not allow this extended rest to hinder their ability to produce at the beginning of the series. 

By the time Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is held, OKC will have had a week-long break. While this is the perfect opportunity for Oklahoma City to rest its healthy players and get closer to Jalen Williams returning to the floor, it could also negatively affect how the Thunder start the series.

We saw a glimpse of this issue when OKC began its second-round series against the Lakers. The Thunder were coming off a sweep of the Phoenix Suns, and their first game of the second round was a slower one. Oklahoma City scored the least amount of points it has in the playoffs, with 108, trying to knock off some of the rust in the process. 

While this issue ultimately didn’t cost the Thunder a game, San Antonio is a whole other animal that OKC must be ready for. In their previous two games, the Spurs have jumped out to a hot start. In Game 5, the Spurs opened the first quarter with 34 points, which would allow them to eventually go into the half up 12. 

Then, in Game 6, San Antonio had one of its best starts in postseason history, scoring 74 points in the first half. This large volume of offense isn’t something that the Thunder can’t handle, but it means they will have to be ready from the get-go.

The Spurs have proved to be a tough challenge for OKC in the past, and are a foe that the Thunder can’t overlook. With this being said, the Thunder can’t afford to start this series slow and must attack the Spurs from the opening tip. To do this, Oklahoma City will have to knock off any rust that has built up over the past week and prove once again that they are the team to beat.