The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs meet Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals after regular seasons in which both teams won more than 60 games and posted win percentages above .750. According to ESPN Research, it is only the third time since conferences were formed in 1970 that two teams with a regular-season win percentage of .750 or better have met in the conference finals; the last occurrence was 1981, when the Boston Celtics faced the Philadelphia 76ers.
San Antonio went 4-1 against Oklahoma City during the regular season, including three victories over the Thunder in a two-week span in December. The regular-season series sets the stage for a high-profile matchup between two teams that finished near the top of the Western Conference.
The two clubs enter the series with the youngest combined postseason playing-time-weighted average age in conference finals history. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the teams’ average age weighted for playing time this postseason is 25.5, the youngest combined age in the conference finals since 1970.
Oklahoma City is chasing a repeat title and has opened the playoffs with eight consecutive victories, the fourth-longest streak to begin a postseason by a defending champion, according to ESPN. San Antonio reached the conference finals after sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won his second MVP award Sunday, is averaging 29.1 points and 7.1 assists on 51.4 percent shooting from the field this postseason. Spurs standout Victor Wembanyama, who finished third in MVP voting, is leading San Antonio with 20.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game.
