Lakers vs. Thunder: Game 1 TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday after wildly divergent first-round experiences.

The Thunder swept the reigning champion Dallas Mavericks and earned over a week's worth of rest as a result. Despite only winning the first two games against Dallas by a combined four points, Scott Brooks' club kept the pressure on the Mavericks and never let them get back into the series.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles struggled to close out the Denver Nuggets after taking a 3-1 series lead, ultimately finishing the young sixth seed off in Saturday night's Game 7 by a 96-87 final score.

Unless the extended vacation has added some rust to the rolling Thunder, the Lakers could find themselves outrun by a well-rested young team with something to prove.

Mike Brown's Lakers have struggled on the road this year, going just 15-18 in the regular season and losing two out of three games in Denver during the first round. That's especially bad news against a team that was 26-7 in regular-season games played in Oklahoma.

The Thunder took two of three games against the Lakers during the regular season, dropping the third in a 114-106, double-overtime classic at the Staples Center April 22.

Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City

When: Monday, May 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET

Watch: TNT

Live Stream: NBA League Pass

Listen: WWLS 640 AM (Oklahoma City) and KSPN 710 AM (Los Angeles)

Betting Line: Oklahoma City Thunder (-7.5), according to Top Bet

Lakers' Key Injuries (via Yahoo! Sports)

Will Play: Matt Barnes (sprained right ankle) 

Will Play: Devin Ebanks (bruised left hand)

Thunder's Key Injuries (via Yahoo! Sports)

Out: Eric Maynor (torn ACL)

Day-to-Day: Kendrick Perkins (hip strain)

What They're Saying

Amid the fallout surrounding Metta World Peace's inexplicable elbow to the back of James Harden's head, the Lakers' apparently headlined-starved small forward has made matters worse by declining to reach out to Harden in a gesture of good faith.

In fact, he's not sure the rest of his Thunder deserve his pregame handshake either. Via SI's Dave McMenamin:

"

"I shake everybody's hand before the game, but Oklahoma City, they don't shake hands," World Peace said. "Only some of them, but I don't think they really shake hands before the game. Kendrick Perkins and now (Russell) Westbrook don't shake hands either. (Russell) used to shake hands, but now he don't shake hands anymore."

"

It wouldn't be a Lakers game without World Peace generating a sideshow, and the lead-up to Game 1 against the Thunder has been no exception. In his first game back after a seven-game suspension, World Peace scored 15 points to help put the Nuggets away.

Since then, he's been trying to score points in the court of public opinion that hasn't been especially thrilled with his conduct of late. The most recent comments probably won't help that cause.

Most Important Player to Watch: Russell Westbrook

Westbrook was dominant at home against the Mavericks, but shot a combined 11-of-31 in Games 3 and 4. From a scoring standpoint, Kevin Durant will be every bit as important to Oklahoma City's hopes. But, it's Westbrook's ability to dictate the pace of the game that makes him such a important variable in this series.

Ty Lawson proved that speedy point guards can give the Lakers headaches, and Westbrook is in fine position to exploit that vulnerability. Besides his elite end-to-end speed, Westbrook also has the size and explosive ability to keep Los Angeles' star seven-footers busy guarding the paint.

Westbrook's playmaking on both ends of the floor could be decisive if this game stays close. He's fearless in the final minutes and more than capable of creating quality shots for himself and his teammates alike.

Key Matchup: Kobe Bryant vs. James Harden

Harden may not start games for the Thunder, but he most certainly finishes them. This year's Sixth Man of the Year has also become one of the league's best third options, more than holding his own on a team led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. He continued to make an impact in the first round, averaging 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals in four games against the Mavericks.

The bigger question in this series will be whether Harden can slow down the still ever-dangerous Kobe Bryant. OKC prefers to put Thabo Sefolosha on its opponents' best perimeter scorer, but it won't be easy to go without Harden's offensive production for long stretches.

For his part, Bryant's postseason has been a bit up-and-down thus far. Yes, he averaged over 29 points a game against the Nuggets, but his shooting in Games 3 and 4 was tepid. The Lakers will need him to be at his very best as both a scorer and distributor if Los Angeles is to have any chance against the up-tempo Thunder.

Game 1 Prediction: Thunder 104, Lakers 96