MVP clash: Thunder, Rockets set for 1st-round playoff battle

Who is the real MVP? James Harden or Russell Westbrook?

The Houston Rockets will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed playoff series in the Western Conference. A win by the Los Angeles Clippers over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday clinched the fifth seed, thus locking OKC into the sixth slot.

Harden and Westbrook are the leading candidates of the most competitive MVP award race in recent memory. Votes will be cast before the playoffs begin since MVP is a regular-season award, thus setting up a potentially awkward finish depending on how the postseason shakes out.

The two teams are diametric opposites in terms of style. Harden runs a high-octane Rockets offense predicated on pace and space, while OKC counters with a physical brand of defense and the boundless energy and athleticism of Westbrook.

Houston won the season series 3-1, but three of the games were decided by three points or less.