The Oklahoma City Thunder (41-17) and their top-ranked offense welcome the Golden State Warriors (52-5) and their third-ranked defense. The game gets underway at 8:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27 and will air on ABC and C+D.
The Thunder fell to the Pelicans 123-119 on Thursday. Russell Westbrook was the game’s leading scorer, contributing 44 points. The Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off a 130-114 win against the Magic on Thursday. Stephen Curry was the game’s top scorer, accumulating 51 points on 20-for-27 shooting.
Over the last five games, Westbrook has taken his game to another level for the Thunder. During that stretch, he has averaged 26.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers. On the other side, the Warriors have their own duo that have been on a tear in that span. Klay Thompson has averaged 24.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.2 steals, and 3.2 three-pointers, while Curry has put up 36.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.8 steals, and 6.2 three-pointers.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the prolific offense of Oklahoma City (second in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 110.5) takes on the stingy defense of Golden State (third in the league with a defensive efficiency of 100.6).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the first matchup 116-108. Kevin Durant had a double-double in the defeat with 40 points and 14 rebounds.
The Thunder are hoping to build on their records of 41-17 Straight Up (SU) and 23-34-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 41-17 SU and 23-34-1 ATS against the Western Conference. The Thunder have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the league in offense with 109.8 points per game. The Thunder are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making a stellar 19.0 per game. The Thunder will be looking to turn around their defense after struggling a bit recently. The Thunder have given up an average of 110.5 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 102.5 PPG.
Across the court, Golden State has a SU record of 52-5 and an ATS record of 31-24-2. Against the Western Conference, Golden State is 52-5 SU and 31-24-2 ATS. The Warriors are the number one overall scoring offense, averaging 115.3 points per game so far. The Warriors rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, leading the league with 734 made (12.0 per game). The Warriors are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the NBA at 1.93. Shifting to the other side of the court, teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Warriors, who are fourth in the league in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 425 this season.
Golden State won the last meeting this season between these two teams, evening up the two teams’ head-to-head record over the last 10 games. With a 6-4 record, the Thunder have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS
Notes
Oklahoma City averages 108.2 points per home game, placing the team second-best in the NBA. Golden State, on the other hand, gives up 107.5 points per away game (ranked 26th).
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a tremendous 23-2. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Golden State Warriors have a losing record of 1-3.
When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow at least 100 points they are 18-15, while the Golden State Warriors are 51-2 when they register triple digits.
The Thunder have the second-best offensive rating in the NBA (110.5). The Warriors are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 100.6 (ranked third).
Golden State beats Oklahoma City in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Warriors average 102.1 possessions and 1.130 points per possession, while the Thunder average 99.4 possessions with 1.105 points per possession.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with an EFF% of 52.2%. The Golden State Warriors have an exceptional 7-2 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher EFF%.
Among all teams, Golden State is the best when it comes to assists, registering an average of 29.1 per game. Oklahoma City ranks slightly lower in total assists, at 10th (22.6 per game).
With 6.3 blocks per game, the Oklahoma City Thunder rank third in the league. The Golden State Warriors are in the top half of NBA teams for blocking, ranking fourth with 6.1 blocks per game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder rank second in offensive rebounding, while the Golden State Warriors also rank second in defensive rebounds.
Making 8.4 steals per game, Golden State is ranked ninth in the NBA. Oklahoma City has a winning 24-10 record when it allows at least 8 steals.
