There's also the Russell Westbrook factor. For the first time since being traded in 2019, the 36-year-old will play at OKC in front of a playoff crowd on Monday for Game 1. He was robbed of that opportunity with the Houston Rockets in 2020 due to The Bubble.

The Thunder were going to be tested against either possibility. The Nuggets are top-heavy but have one of the best starting lineups, headlined by the best player in the world. Meanwhile, the Clippers were one of the deepest teams in the league and have been red-hot since the All-Star break.

The Thunder, who won a franchise-record 68 games, are trying to win the NBA title for the first time since the franchise moved from Seattle in 2008.