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.

The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder made short work of the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. And after a dominant regular season, the Thunder cruised to a 4-0 series sweep,