The Golden State Warriors travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder in Game of the Western Conference Finals, pitting the first-ranked offense against the top-ranked defense. Action starts at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, May 24 and will air on TNT and C+D.
The Thunder come into this game on a high note after blowing out the Warriors 133-105 on Sunday. Kevin Durant was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength, as the productive offense of Oklahoma City (second in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 110.4) takes on the elite defense of Golden State (first in the league with a defensive efficiency of 101.4). Also, the Warriors’s first-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 112.7) will face off against the fourth-ranked defense of the Thunder (defensive efficiency of 103.5).
The Thunder have gone 65-31 Straight Up (SU) and 45-48-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 65-31 SU and 45-48-3 ATS against the Western Conference. The Thunder have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire league, averaging 109.7 points per game.
As for their opponent, Golden State has a SU record of 82-13 and an ATS record of 51-41-3. In Western Conference games, Golden State has gone 82-13 SU and 51-41-3 ATS. Offensively, they average 114.6 points per game, which is first in the league. The Warriors are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the NBA at 1.96. The Golden State defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing a league-low .336 shooting from three-point range to its opponents. A large part of Golden State’s game is creating turnovers and turning them into points. They are scoring 17.4 points per game off turnovers, which ranks third in the league.
Oklahoma City won the last meeting this season between these two teams, but the Warriors still lead the head-to-head record over the last 10, 7-3 SU. The Warriors also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS
Notes
Golden State ranks first in points allowed per road game (107.2 PPG), while Oklahoma City ranks second in points per home game with 109.5.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won their last game by 28 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Golden State Warriors are 26-4. Oklahoma City is 23-3 in blowouts this season.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Warriors are 32-2 on the season. When the Thunder score fewer than 100, they are an abysmal 5-17.
When the Warriors give up at least 100 points to their opponent, they are 50-11. When the Thunder hit the century mark, they also have a winning record (60-14).
The Warriors have the top-ranked offense this season, averaging 112.7 points per 100 possessions. The Thunder have one of the best defenses, allowing 103.5 points in the same number of possessions (ranked fourth).
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with a FG% of 47.4%. The Golden State Warriors have a winning 10-5 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher FG%.
On average, Oklahoma City attempts 23.0 three pointers and Golden State attempts 31.0 per game. Both teams have winning records when they have 25 or more three point attempts. The Thunder sit at 25-13 and the Warriors are 74-12.
Golden State ranks near the top of the league in blocking at fifth (6.0 blocks per game). Oklahoma City is ranked sixth, with 5.8 blocks per game.
Oklahoma City is the top team in the NBA in terms of offensive rebounds, while Golden State is the strongest team when it comes to defensive rebounding.
Making 8.4 steals per game, Golden State is ranked ninth in the NBA. Oklahoma City has a winning 41-22 record when it gives up at least 8 steals.
