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.

After sweeping the Grizzlies, the Thunder is lying in wait until either the Clippers or Nuggets emerge as its second-round opponent.

After defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder will now either play the Denver Nuggets or LA Clippers.

The Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of their Western Conference Playoffs matchup, but Ja Morant believes it might have gone down differently had he not exited Game 3—and then missed Game 4—with a left hip contusion.

According to Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies' fate was sealed when Lu Dort collided with him mid-air before Game 3 went into halftime. A nasty spill on the hardwood ruled him out for the final one-and-a-half games of a four-game sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder.