After sweep, Thunder to get roughly a week off before West finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder have time. Oklahoma City finished off the Los Angeles Lakers with a 115-110 win in Game 4 on May 11, sending the defending champions to the Western Conference finals with an 8-0 playoff record. The wait now turns on the San Antonio Spurs-Minnesota Timberwolves semifinal, which San Antonio leads 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Friday. The result will determine whether Oklahoma City opens the next round on May 18 or May 20, according to local schedule breakdowns and the NBA’s playoff bracket. ### How long is Oklahoma City’s break? May 11 is the key date. The Thunder have not played since closing out the Lakers on Monday night in Los Angeles, and their next game cannot come before Monday, May 18. If Minnesota extends the Spurs series to a Game 7, Oklahoma City would not open the conference finals until Wednesday, May 20. (usnews.com) The NBA’s official playoff page shows Oklahoma City already in the West finals slot while the other semifinal remains unresolved. That bracket also lists the Western Conference finals window extending into early June, with Oklahoma City holding home-court advantage as the No. 1 seed. ### What has to happen Friday to lock in the start date? San Antonio can settle it on Friday. KOKH in Oklahoma City reported that if the Spurs win Game 6, the Western Conference finals schedule would open Monday, May 18, followed by Game 2 on May 20 and Game 3 on May 22. (usnews.com) Minnesota can push the series longer with a road win. (nba.com) KOKH reported that a Timberwolves victory in Game 6 would force a Game 7 and move the West finals opener to Wednesday, May 20, with Game 2 on May 22 and Game 3 on May 24. ### What did the Thunder do to earn the layoff? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points in the clincher against the Lakers, and Ajay Mitchell added 28 as Oklahoma City completed its second straight sweep of the postseason. (okcfox.com) Chet Holmgren’s go-ahead dunk with 32.8 seconds left helped seal the 115-110 victory. The 8-0 start is the cleanest explanation for the break. Oklahoma City swept through two rounds while the Spurs and Timberwolves were still playing a sixth game, leaving the Thunder as the first Western Conference team through to the league’s final four. ### What has the team said publicly while it waits? (usnews.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept the message narrow after the sweep. “We’ve done our job so far, that’s all it really means,” he said after Game 4, according to the Associated Press. “Nothing is guaranteed.” The Thunder have not publicly framed the layoff as anything beyond the schedule, but the organization has already moved to the next round operationally. (usnews.com) On May 12, the team announced Western Conference finals tickets would go on sale May 13 and said fan events would begin in Oklahoma City ahead of the series. ### When will fans know the full matchup and schedule? Friday is the next checkpoint. (usnews.com) San Antonio hosts Minnesota in Game 6 with a chance to eliminate the Timberwolves and send Oklahoma City into a May 18 opener. If Minnesota wins, the series goes to Game 7 and the Thunder’s next game shifts to May 20. NBA.com and the Thunder’s team site are already carrying the bracket and ticket information for the next round. (nba.com) The Western Conference finals opponent will be either Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs or Anthony Edwards’ Timberwolves, and Oklahoma City’s first home game will come at Paycom Center once the semifinal ends. (nba.com) (okcfox.com)