The Oklahoma City Thunder had plenty of rest at the conclusion of the NBA regular season. They had a week to wait before tipping off the playoffs. Then they quickly swept the New Orleans Pelicans in four games in a series that proved their arrival -- building off an incredible 57-25 regular season.
After the sweep, the Thunder are once again waiting for their next opponent in the postseason. The Dallas Mavericks -- the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference -- lead the No. 4-seeded LA Clippers 3-2 in their series that will soon see a conclusion. With the Thunder playing the winner of the series, they are simply taking their time to rest and get healthy before starting their second round of the playoffs.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault understands there is both pros and cons to having the extended break, but it could help the team's chances of advancing.
“The advantages are rest. If you get bumps and bruises, it gives you time to heal," Daigneault explained. "Disadvantages would be a lot of time between games and amount of time we’re not used to.”
The Thunder -- fresh off a week of rest -- defeated a tough team in the Pelicans in a smooth four games. It's hard to imagine a week off of games will hurt the team, considering how they played last time off an extended break.
With the Clippers and Mavericks series going to a minimum of six games, the winner is going to be quite literally limping out of the series. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is dealing with a lower-body injury and so is Mavericks star Luka Doncic. No matter which opponent they get, they're dealing with an injured star.
It seems the pros far outweigh the cons as the Thunder patiently awaits a second-round opponent and shot at a Western Conference Finals berth.
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