The Clippers and Nuggets will play Game 7 on Saturday since the Thunder won Game 4 to sweep the Grizzlies.
The 7th game between the Clippers and the Nuggets. Day 7 is waiting for the Thunder in the second round. The Thunder will be off for eight days as scheduled for the second round starting Monday, while the Los Angeles/Denver rests are two days.
"We're going to be very resting, rehabilitating and healthy, and they're playing high leverage all week while practicing," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Friday. "Obviously, there are deals for both, but that's the truth. We're just trying to maximize our situation."
Rest is almost always a win.
Since 2000, there have been 15 series, with a team facing a four-game match in the next round, just taking part in seven games.
In 14 of these instances, the team sweep beat the team seven games.
The only outlier is the 2013 NBA Finals. The Spurs swept the Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals, and the Heat struggled among the Pacers in the seven-game final in the Eastern Conference. History shows that the Spurs will win the NBA finals, but it was a seven-game victory thanks to the iconic Ray Allen who won the iconic Ray Allen in Game 6.
Of course, rest is not the only factor here. A team that swept is usually better than a team that won seven series. The latest example of Denver vs. Miami’s 2023 NBA Finals. Denver swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Camel sent the Celtics out of seven. The Nuggets have a little more rest, but they are also the first seeds of the West, against the No. 8 seed Heat.
The best seed thunder is/will be a favorite of the Nuggets or Clippers regardless of rest.
But even if the thunder is a little fanatical, the long layoffs will not be hurt.
“You want to take a break, but don’t take a long break,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.
I took 7 days off between the first and second rounds last season. OKC swept New Orleans, while the Mavericks Drama Series played six games. The Mavericks beat the Thunder six out of six.
In 2012, when the Thunder entered the NBA Finals, OKC swept Dallas in the first round. Its second-round rival, the Lakers, played seven first-round series. The Thunder took eight days off and entered the Western Conference semifinals. The Lakers will have a break one day. OKC won the series in five games.
OKC has been on the other side, too. In 2011, the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. At the same time, the Mavericks swept the Lakers. Dallas beat OKC in the Western Conference Finals.
"It's good for us," Thunder guard Cason Wallace said.
If any team can thrive with a short break, it is the young Thunder, a 31-year-old Alex Carsuo, who is seen as an older person. But the benefits of rest certainly outweigh any concerns about rust. Games and travel add up.
"The accumulated travel gradually recovers for a number of reasons - sleep, resources, and psychological comfort in your own bed," Daigneault said.
In any case, the Clippers or the Nuggets will do their best. But the lightning charging will put seven games against each other, making round 2 frustration even more impossible.
History is beneficial to sweeping (and sleeping) teams.
Joe Mussatto is an Oklahoma sports columnist. Have a Joe's story idea? Send him an email jmussatto@oklahoman.com. By purchasing Today's digital subscription is available on subscribe.oklahoman.com.