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Which Team Has Stronger Merit to Defeat Spurs—Clippers/Thunder?

Wednesday, 14 May, 2014

Follow@cimini

The eye popping display of dramatic finishes in the NBA playoffs has been fantastic. It truly has the media and the fans living in the moment. In the world of sports what has happened yesterday is old news quickly. The current series between the Thunder and Clippers will be over sooner than later. All the hoopla around the past two games in the series will be ancient memory.

San Antonio has been the old reliable renegade team. Their seven-game series against the Mavericks has faded quickly. The young bucks from Portland had many people thinking upset minded but once again Coach Poppovich and company are proving the naysayers wrong.

An inevitable matchup looms. San Antonio versus who? The Clippers or Thunder. Which team provides the best opportunity for an upset.

Focusing on San Antonio’s keys, they spread the floor, have solid depth, experience, coaching, and great shooters.

From those basic intangibles you’d have to lean to Oklahoma City having the edge over the Clippers. Though the Thunder do cave from time to time with poor stretches, they also rise to the occasion just as much.

They have the interior players to match up with the Spurs. Players such as Nick Collison, Serge Ibaka, old man Kendrick Perkins, and young center Steven Adams. San Antonio will also have fits covering Kevin Durant. More than likely that job will be handed to Leonard. He’ll likely be up for the task but the downside will be on the offensive end.

Leonard has been brilliant with his drives and shooting in the first two rounds. Exerting effort on Durant will surely take away his energy and high field goal percentage.

A matchup versus Oklahoma City would have my money on a seven game series. This matchup could honestly be better than the NBA Finals, where the Heat look as vulnerable as they’ve been in the Lebron/Bosh campaign.

My money would still be on the Spurs to represent the Western Conference at odds of -148. For the Finals at slightly above 2-1 odds, are also favorable.