That said, the Thunder should prefer the Clippers to move on to Round 2. Leonard and Harden are a scary duo to face, but OKC is equipped with the right perimeter defenders to slow them down. Zubac has had a career season, but Hartenstein is the perfect counterpart against him on the boards and inside the paint.

With OKC having completed its first round in a four-game sweep by April 26, that could mean 7-10 days between games — that gap coming after a series in which there was a single off-day in between each game.

Meet reporters Joel Lorenzi, Justin Martinez, Joe Mussatto, Jenni Carlson and editor Jeff Patterson, the team helping tell the story about the Oklahoma City Thunder's rise in the NBA.