Thunder vs. Clippers: 3 things you need to know

EAST
(1) IND vs. (5) WAS | (2) MIA vs. (6) BKN
WEST
(1) SAS vs. (5) POR | (2) OKC vs. (3) LAC

Things on paper during the 2013-14 regular season were eerily similar between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

They had identical records at home (34-7) and identical records against West opponents (36-16). In their last meeting on April 9, both team's high scorers had 30 points (Russell Westbrook and Blake Griffin).

Naturally, they split the season series 2-2. 

The Thunder and Clippers open the very first postseason meeting in the history of the two franchises at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Monday. 

Here are three things you need to know:

No time to rest

Two short days after playing their respective Game 7 contests, the Thunder and Clippers will meet for Game 1 of the second round.

"It’s a tough transition to basically play the same team for two weeks, then all the sudden in 48 hours, you have a new team that you play," OKC guard and playoff veteran Derek Fisher said, via Thunder.com. "We have to be ready to make the adjustments to the next opponent.”

The Thunder spent Sunday working with head coach Scott Brooks on the game plan for Game 1, and taking a mental rest in the morning. The first round series against Memphis was just the second time in the Oklahoma City era that the team needed a seven-game series to advance.

What? Yes, Russell. We're looking at this without rose-colored lenses.

On the Clippers front, team owner Donald Sterling forced the Staples Center co-tenants into an uncomfortable light. His racist remarks on a recording obtained by TMZ shifted the attention of the players away from the court - especially for Chris Paul, who not only serves as the team's point guard, but also as president of the NBPA.

Even the Clippers' greatest foe in the Warriors were prepared to take action and walk off the court in support of the L.A. drama, but that said, do the Clippers have anything left in the tank? The Thunder could certainly exploit a tired opponent at home, where they carry the NBA's second-best record at 34-7.

Similarly, the Clippers could use the energy ignited by scandal to push through the OKC defense and make the conference finals round for the first time in franchise history.

Durant and Westbrook are back in it

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are an unstoppable duo. Sure, Durant suffered a "slump" early in the first round (he averaged 28 points on 40 percent shooting in the first five games) but Oklahoma City's showing from the elite pair in Game 7 was a downright beating of the Grizzlies. 

They don't call him Mr. Unreliable unless it's going to mean he comes back with a vengeance, right?

The two combined for 60 points in Game 7; Durant led all scorers with 33 points and went 5-for-5 on 3-pointers, and Westbrook recorded a triple-double while tying his career-high with 16 assists (and took 27 shots).

In the last two games, Durant looked like the MVP winner he's set to become, averaging 34.5 points and shooting 56 percent. Westbrook made passing his friend to average 10.5 assists over the last two.

''He's an attack player,'' coach Brooks said of the point guard's play. ''He wants to get to the lane and finish around the paint. There's always a balance, and I think he's done a good job the last two or three games of finding that.''

If Durant continues his Durant-like tear and Westbrook sets a fluid and efficient pace, the Thunder will be tough for the Clippers' defense to hold back, even if L.A. does boast the league's most potent offense (107.9 ppg).

DeAndre Jordan's seven games of total dominance will help the Clippers' cause - he leads the 2014 postseason in rebounds (15.1), blocks (4.0) and field goal percentage (.757).

Chris Paul vs. his body

If you thought the first round was one of the league's finest yet, the semifinals are poised to exceed expectations, too. A major matchup in the Thunder-Clippers series will be Westbrook vs. Paul, but the ailing L.A. point guard probably needs a break from his strained right hamstring (and sprained left thumb, and not-completely-healed shoulder...)

"Man, just got done with Steph [Curry] and then go right on to Russell , right?" Paul said to reporters after Game 7 against the Warriors. "Y'all say a special prayer for me tonight."

An anecdote for the ages: Grizzlies' Mike Conley played Game 7 against the Thunder with a strained hamstring. Westbrook finished with a triple-double and sent Conley and his team packing for the offseason.

One-line Clippers' wish list:

Paul's Game 7 performance against the Warriors was spectacular - 22 points, 14 assists and four steals in 42 minutes - but whether he can keep it up against the speed and power of the opposing point guard without taking a major toll on his physical health (in addition to the mental stress of the Sterling saga) will be his greatest challenge.

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