The Thunder Can't Rely On Another Easy Matchup In Round 3

Oklahoma City won the first two series handily, but can't expect the Western Conference Finals to be the same.

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches game action against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City can’t expect another series sweep to fall into its hands in the Western Conference Finals. 

The Thunder are coming off their second sweep in a row, as they took care of business in round two against the Los Angeles Lakers to punch their ticket to the conference finals. The Thunder have made their path seem easy, but compared to every other team, it technically has been easier. 

However, OKC did make this journey possible for itself after securing the best regular-season record in the West for the third year in a row. This slotted Oklahoma City to take on the eight seed and then the four seed in the NBA Playoffs. It also made it easier that the Lakers were without their best player in Luka Doncic. 

None of this should take away from the amazing postseason the Thunder have had, but the team has to know the third round won’t be quite as easy. Oklahoma City will either meet the San Antonio Spurs or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals; both teams, the Thunder didn’t exactly dominate in the regular season. 

The Timberwolves might be the six seed, but they took down Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets to get to the second round, who were a three seed. Minnesota also showed it could be trouble in the regular season, as it split the season series with OKC 2-2. 

The motor that makes Minnesota run is none other than Anthony Edwards, who has proved himself as one of the best players in the world. Edwards led the Timberwolves in scoring in three of the two teams' meetings and was the main reason Minnesota was able to stay in the game. 

On the other side of things, San Antonio didn’t just keep up with OKC; they thrived. The Spurs won the regular-season series 4-1 over OKC and are looking to have this success again in the playoffs. The Spurs attack was comprised of multiple players like Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson, showcasing that it isn’t just the Thunder that runs deep. 

The Spurs are leading the series 3-2 and will play Game 6 on Friday night to maybe solidify Oklahoma City’s final West opponent. The Thunder are still the team to beat and can take down either of the teams that are eventually heading their way. However, OKC will have to realize it is due for a battle and that the next opponent won’t be walked all over like the first two.