Two sweeps, two series ending in seventh games. That's how the Western Conference playoff bracket played out. Two teams head into Round 2 well-rested, while two others head back into action seemingly worn, but eager to play. Without further ado, here are the two conference semifinal pairings out West.
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
Regular Season: San Antonio won 2-1
The Spurs made the playoffs look easy in a four-game sweep of the Utah Jazz, while the Clippers left the Grizzlies series a battered and bruised crew. The aging Spurs head into the matchup well-rested and fresh, while the Clippers need to muster ounces of remaining energy left just to have a chance against the experienced Spurs.
The Spurs are still the domain of their leading trio in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, and in the Utah series they exploited the Jazz's lack of experience. The bench depth also contributed in giving the Big Three ample rest. Against the Clippers, the Spurs will again rely on their experience advantage coupled with much-needed rest during the week. Meanwhile, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are limited by hip and knee injuries, while Caron Butler played with a broken hand and Mo Williams went through an arm injury as the Clippers slipped past the Grizzlies in Game 7. The question is, however, will rust play a role early on, and how much has the Clippers left against a fresher, more experienced unit?
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers
Regular Season: Oklahoma City won 2-1
Simply put, the Thunder were a young, maturing unit, while the Lakers were a team starting to show wear and tear. And Derek Fisher is playing against his former team for the first time in the playoffs. Storylines notwithstanding, the Thunder head into this matchup fresher, having not played in a week, while the Lakers came in after a grueling seven-game marathon with the Nuggets. The series will feature several major characters returning from their previous playoff meeting two years earlier.
Metta World Peace was fortunate that he fulfilled his seven-game suspension during the Denver series, but his actions against James Harden prior to the suspension won't receive him any fans in OKC. The focus of attention however, will be on Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, and on how Durant has learned from 2010. The Thunder made a big addition in Kendrick Perkins last year, mainly to counter Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum's mastery of the paint. The growth of Harden and Russell Westbrook, along with Fisher's championship pedigree, helped the Thunder become a more dangerous unit. If the Thunder play with their strengths, watch out as they may end the series quickly against a Lakers team whose flair for the dramatic nearly eliminated them.
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