Looking ahead in the NBA: Chicago at Oklahoma City

CHICAGO AT OKLAHOMA CITY: Sunday at 10 a.m. PDT. TV: Channel 7

This isn’t really the possible Finals preview many will tout it to be, unless you expect Derrick Rose to sit out the playoffs. Then again, the way things have gone for Chicago’s star guard this season, you never know. He has been sidelined for three lengthy stretches, most recently by a groin injury that has forced him to miss the Bulls’ last nine games. There remains no timetable for his return. Chicago is expected to have Richard Hamilton back after he sat out 12 games because of a sprained right shoulder. The Thunder has been rolling lately, with a 16-point victory over Miami and a nine-point triumph over the Lakers the latest signs that this could be the NBA’s best team.

— Ben Bolch