The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs face off in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals Monday in one of the most anticipated playoff series in recent years.
Oklahoma and San Antonio both won more than 60 games and eclipsed a .750 win percentage in the regular season. This is just the third time since the conferences were formed in 1970 that two teams with a regular-season win percentage of .750 or better are meeting in the conference finals, according to ESPN Research. It hasn't happened since 1981 when the Boston Celtics faced the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Spurs went 4-1 against the Thunder in the regular season, including three wins in two weeks in December. That set up this showdown between budding rivals that could dominate the league for years to come. The two teams' average age weighted for playing time this postseason is 25.5, the youngest combined age in the conference finals since 1970, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
In its quest to earn consecutive NBA titles, Oklahoma City has eight straight victories to start the playoffs -- the fourth-longest win streak to begin a postseason by a defending champion. San Antonio swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round before 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% shooting from the field this postseason. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who finished third in the MVP voting, leads the team with 20.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game.
Who will take Game 1 of the Western Conference finals? Follow along for live updates and highlights.
