There is nothing left for the Oklahoma City Thunder to do but wait. The hardest part.
The Bricktown Ballers quest for a second straight NBA championship begins on Sunday, April 19. Their first round matchup has yet to be determined. The Thunder will not find out their dancing partner for the opening round of the NBA Playoffs until Friday, April 17.
Tonight the Western Conference Play In Tournament begins in the Valley of the Suns, as the Phoenix Suns play host to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Winner? hits the road to face off with the San Antonio Spurs on Sunder in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. The Loser? Gets ready for a do-or-die home game on Friday night against the winner of the L.A. Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors matchup for the right to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
Let’s rank each Western Conference Playoff team as it relates to the most difficult teams to do battle with. From easiest matchup to most challenging opposition. While none of these four possible foes could upset the Thunder in the opening round each present something different.
4. Golden State Warriors
Don’t let the name value of Steph Curry strike fear into your heart in 2026. While Curry is still an elite player at his apex and capable of getting red hot from beyond the arc in the blink of an eye, he has only played in 43 games this season and doesn’t have his typical supporting cast of years past. The Warriors have never been label as a good team this year, rarely in stretches have they been above average. Most of the season spent blow that mark.
The Thunder would be able to dominate this series in short order against Golden State with the Bay Area Ballers lack of resistance defensively and fire power.
3. Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers have ended this season on a high note, especially with how up-tempo this group has played of late. They are also healthier now than they have ever been, with only Damian Lillard out for this play-in opener against the Phoenix Suns, as he is sidelined for the season. While their defense is strong and Deni Avdija is a tough cover, the Thunder have handled this squad this season with ease, outside of a second night of a back-to-back loss. Portland should be prone to turnovers against Oklahoma City’s defense in particular. This should lead to some lopsided wins for the Thunder and an easy series.
2. L.A. Clippers
Kawhi Leonard has been fantastic this season, some of the Clippers’ role players have the reputation of being playoff risers. This pushes L.A. into the top two on this list, but their lack of talent in the front court and the ability to pick on Darius Garland on the defensive end gives Oklahoma City a massive leg up.
| Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
1. Phoenix Suns
The Suns are a talented defensive group when they are able to lock in and are healthy, the team is able to grind some games down and get into late-game situations. That was their formula for beating Oklahoma City in Phoenix earlier this season, buying time for Devin Booker to eventually hit the game-winner. With Booker’s scoring ability, Jalen Green’s secondary bucket getting, Dillon Brooks’ pesky intensity and the emergence of Collin Gillespie it makes this team capable of stealing a game against Oklahoma City.
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