Pau Gasol: Warriors–Thunder Game 7 will decide NBA champion

The winner of Monday night’s Western Conference Finals Game 7 between the Warriors and Thunder will go on to win the NBA finals, veteran power forward Pau Gasol says.

The winner of Monday night’s Western Conference Finals Game 7 between the Warriors and Thunder will go on to win the NBA finals, veteran power forward Pau Gasol says.

“It will determine the champion of the league,” Gasol said in a Spanish–language interview with AS.com. “It will be a battle that I intend to watch and follow ... the sixth game that they played, the Warriors were something amazing.”

Golden State has won two straight games to climb out of a 3–1 series deficit and force a Game 7. Tip is at 9 p.m. ET.

Gasol is under contract with the Bulls through the 2016–17 season, which will be his 16th in the NBA. He is considering skipping this summer’s Olympic games due to concern over the Zika virus.

– Kenny Ducey