Grab seven is coming! The Clippers flew to Denver to usher in a life-and-death battle, and the Thunder waited for labor to become a winner?

On May 3, Beijing time, the Clippers officially posted a picture of the whole team flying to Denver. Harden is wearing a red graffiti hoodie, which is quite cool. Xiaoka held a drink with a serious face. Zubac wore a gradient tracksuit. What awaits them is a battle of life and death, and the battle for the seventh is coming!

In the first 6 games, the two teams drew 3-3, and who can become the opponent of the next round of the Thunder will be revealed on May 4, Beijing time. By the time the opening game of the Western Conference semifinals began, the Thunder had been out for nearly two weeks after they swept the Grizzlies 4-0 in the first round. This recuperation period will not only give the injury-plagued squad a much-needed rest, but they will also be expected to continue their hot form.

As for the Nuggets and Clippers, whoever wins the tiebreaker will undoubtedly be exhausted and heavy when they reach the semifinals. In addition to the tie-break in the first-round series, this matchup can be called the most stalemate and most tug-of-war in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. So far in the series, there have been 50 alternate leads and 27 draws, with the home team winning four of the six games. In addition, half of the games are within 3 points, which means that both sides fight until the final whistle in every game, which consumes a lot of energy.

Judging by the head-to-head record, the Thunder may prefer to face the Clippers. In the regular season, the Thunder swept the Clippers 3-0, averaging a net win of 12.3 points per game. In comparison, the Thunder and Nuggets have a 2-2 head-to-head record in the season, averaging a goal difference of just 6.0 points per game.

However, the winner of the tiebreaker will soon have to go to Oklahoma City to play two away games in a row. The Thunder have only lost six games at home this season, and neither the Clippers led by Leonard and Harden nor the Nuggets led by Jokic will be in a state that can compete with this superior Thunder team.

Speaking about the Clippers and Nuggets series, Alexander said, "I'm watching as much of this series as I can. We've played both teams four times this year. It's a pretty good idea of what each of them can show in the game and what kind of challenges they will bring. Obviously, both teams are very good basketball teams. ”

Alexander also said he wouldn't have that extra motivation if the Thunder play the Clippers in a second-round series of the playoffs. The mere goal of qualifying for the Western Conference Finals alone is a powerful motivator. "Their actions (trading Alexander) a long time ago really irritated me," he said. I haven't thought about that in years, though. I don't think people can live forever with resentment. For whatever reason, the Clippers gave me up, and they thought it was a good decision, and so did the Thunder who chose me. This is the destiny I was given. ”