NBA Playoffs 2012: 'The Avengers' Take on the LA Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder

“We have a hulk.” It may not be the most poetic phrase, but it gets the job done well, especially when synching it to video of 6-7, 260 lbs., Lakers forward Metta World Peace (Ron Artest).

The LA Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder will open the Western Conference semifinal series tonight in Oklahoma.

As a preview tribute, Youtube user Meir21 posted a video for the upcoming Lakers-Thunder series, using a movie trailer sound clip from the hit movie ‘The Avengers,’ posted below.

(For the best part of the 1:17 “preview,” skip forward to around the 1:05 mark where you get to see World Peace’s inner hulk let loose.)

On a related note, World Peace tweeted his love of the hulk and 'The Avengers' movie earlier this month: 

"

OMG I saw Avengers in Denver...... Wow!!!!!!!!! The hulk knows how to contain it now..... Yessir!!!! It's possible !!!!!!

"

The tribute Youtube clip shows the now notorious April 22 incident in which James Harden received a concussion from being hit by World Peace’s elbow. World Peace received a flagrant foul, was ejected from the game, and received a seven-game suspension for the incident.

The Washington Post’s Cindy Boren posted a blog piece on the potential (or more appropriately lack thereof) for World Peace and Harden to shake hands and move on from the incident at tonight's Game 1. 

In regard to what Boren termed Handshakegate, World Peace was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, “I don't shake substitutes' hands.”

What is the reason for not shaking hands? Well if you are to take World Peace’s word for it, it all originates from the Thunder:

"

'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. [Westbrook] used to shake hands, but now he don't shake hands anymore.'

"

Even if World Peace’s inner Hulk does come out in this series, the Lakers, like their Avenger counterparts, are the predicted underdogs. The AP cites the advantage going to the Thunder due to youth, rest, home court advantage and a 2-1 series edge this year. It was also pointed out the Thunder are 7-point favorites in Game 1. 

I guess we'll just have to wait and see if having a hulk gives the Lakers an edge over the Thunder.