Thunder vs. Spurs: 1-on-1 Battles That Will Decide Evenly-Matched Series

The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder have played a thrilling Western Conference Finals series so far, and some key one-on-one battles will end up deciding who moves on to the NBA Finals.

The Spurs stormed out to a 2-0 lead thanks to the stellar play from their trio of stars as well as key performances from their many role players. But the Thunder regrouped and won two straight home games that they desperately needed in order to tie the series.

Now, both teams' focus lies on a pivotal Game 5 in San Antonio that will leave the winner just one win away from an NBA Finals matchup with either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat, who also face a swing game Tuesday to decide who gets the upper hand.

Try as they might, the Thunder and the Spurs won't achieve the title hopes that they've been dreaming of all season without winning these key matchups.

James Harden vs. Manu Ginobili

It's almost unheard of for a matchup between two non-starters to have such a vast impact on a conference finals series, but it'll be incredibly hard for either team to move on without their sixth man playing his best basketball.

James Harden has found himself a spot in Oklahoma City's Big Three this season. This season's Sixth Man of the Year is eighth in scoring in these playoffs among players still in the hunt for a championship with 17.5 points per game. 

Ginobili has a sixth man award himself, and has been at his best in these playoffs against Oklahoma City. His 46 combined points in Games 1 and 2 were pivotal for the Spurs, who've had trouble finding offense in their last two losses.

Serge Ibaka vs. Tim Duncan

Shot-blocking extraordinaire and defensive stud Serge Ibaka wasn't exactly thought of to be a big difference maker in this series offensively, but he came up big in a Game 4 win with 26 points while hitting 11-of-11 shots. He also has teamed up with Kendrick Perkins on the interior to keep Duncan's effectiveness to a minimum in their two wins.

Tim Duncan has only broken the 20-point scoring plateau once in this series, but has remained effective on the boards. However, Duncan has only grabbed 10 rebounds combined in the last two games, both losses. 

If Ibaka's defensive prowess (six blocks in their last two victories) continues to irritate San Antonio's interior presence, it could prove to be the biggest reason for the Spurs' troubles. 

Russell Westbrook vs. Tony Parker

We saw this matchup forthcoming as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, X-factor in this series. It's proved to be just that.

Parker's stat line in Game 1 (18 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST) gave the Spurs the all-around effort they needed from their veteran point guard in the series-opening showdown. He also tallied an insane 34 points on 16-for-21 shooting in Game 2 as he willed the Spurs to a win that was dwindling down the stretch.

Westbrook hasn't put up the offensive numbers that we'd expect from him in Oklahoma City's two series wins, but he's gotten his teammates involved, which is often times more important at his position. He took a surprisingly low 10 shots in Game 4, but his only two made baskets were clutch three-pointers. 

Westbrook won't have the benefit of 41 combined points from Ibaka and Perkins that he got in Game 4, so he'll need to find his scoring touch if the Thunder want a chance to win their first NBA championship in Oklahoma City.