In this file photo, San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker, left, of France, drives around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio. (Darren Abate/AP/File)

Spurs and Thunder star in NBA’s Western Conference Finals: 10 extra dimensions

1:58 pm ET -

The clash of the Spurs and Thunder in the NBA’s Western Conference finals may fly a bit under the national radar when it opens Sunday. Here are 10 factors that make this showdown intriguing.

Top Sports (View all)

More Sports

Celtics and 76ers advance in NBA playoffs, meet in Eastern semifinals

Boston outlasted the Atlanta Hawks in six games, while Philadelphia got past the injury-depleted Chicago Bulls Thursday night. Game 1 coverage begins Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on TNT.
Rangers' Josh Hamilton joins select club with 4-homer game vs. Orioles (+video)

The Texas Rangers outfielder drove in eight runs with four swings of the bat Tuesday night.
Kentucky Derby: Will mighty white steed ride to rescue of struggling sport?

A white horse has never won the Kentucky Derby, so the entry of nearly pure white Hansen makes for a good story. But it likely won't be enough to bring horse racing back into the mainstream.
Junior Seau tragedy shakes NFL, intensifies concern about head injuries

Former linebacker's apparent suicide, three years after retiring, renews denunciations of football's culture of toughness and the incidence of head injuries. Junior Seau had sustained multiple concussions, friends and family say.
Kentucky Derby 2012: Who to watch in first leg of Triple Crown

Kentucky Derby 2012: Is this the year when the Kentucky Derby winner becomes the Triple Crown winner, ending a streak of 33 years?
Saints 'bountygate' suspensions: Is Roger Goodell fighting football itself?

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell came down hard on four current and former New Orleans Saints for participating in a bounty program to injure opponents. But some say he's going too far.
NBA playoffs 2012: Postseason news and notes

The National Basketball Association season that almost never was is about to head into the home stretch, i.e. the playoffs. Here are some postseason facts and figures.
NFL draft: 5 reasons it is must-see TV

All the hullabaloo surrounding the NFL draft can be a bit baffling to the uninitiated. Commissioner Roger Goodell just walks onstage, calls a name, and then shakes a hand. Hardly gripping stuff. But here are five reasons it is such a big draw:
NFL Draft 2012: Watch for quarterbacks in the early rounds

NFL Draft 2012: As in baseball, so in the NFL: You can never have enough good arms. After Andrew Luck, which quarterbacks will get picked early in the NFL draft?
NFL Draft quiz: Serious football fans, please stand up

The National Football League’s annual selection of college players is when year-round fans settle in for three days of televised announcements, beginning Thursday night. Test your NFL draft knowledge with our quiz.