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 gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Saturday, May 28 and can be seen on TNT and C+D.
The Thunder were beaten by the Warriors 120-111 on Thursday. Kevin Durant was the game’s high scorer, finishing with 40 points.
This battle pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Oklahoma City currently ranks second in the NBA in offensive efficiency and Golden State is first in defensive efficiency. Also, the Warriors’s first-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 112.5) will face off against the third-ranked defense of the Thunder (defensive efficiency of 103.5).
The Thunder have gone 66-32 Straight Up (SU) and 46-49-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 66-32 SU and 46-49-3 ATS versus 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 will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent defensive struggles. The Thunder have given up an average of 113.2 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 102.6 PPG.
As for their opponent, the Warriors have a record of 52-42-3 ATS and 83-14 SU. Golden State has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 7-3. The Warriors are the number one overall scoring offense, averaging 114.5 points per game so far. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Warriors. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the league at 1.93. The Golden State defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing a league-low .337 shooting from three-point range to its opponents. Golden State makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, leading the league in points off turnovers with an average of 17.4 per game.
Golden State beat Oklahoma City in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against the Thunder to 6-4 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Furthermore, the Warriors lead the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS
Notes
On average, Oklahoma City puts up 109.6 points per home game (ranked second). Golden State ranks 24th in points allowed per road game with 107.4.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a superb 35-6. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Golden State Warriors have an abysmal record of 2-7.
When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow at least 100 points they are 31-26, while the Golden State Warriors are 81-7 when they register triple digits.
The Warriors have the best defense in the NBA, with a defensive rating of 101.6. The Thunder’s offense ranks a solid second, with an offensive rating of 110.4.
Golden State beats Oklahoma City in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Warriors average 101.7 possessions and 1.125 points per possession, while the Thunder average 99.5 possessions with 1.104 points per possession.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking fourth in the league with an EFF% of 52.2%. The Golden State Warriors have a winning 15-7 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher EFF%.
The Oklahoma City Thunder rank 24th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.49. The Golden State Warriors have a higher A/TO (1.93), ranking second.
Oklahoma City is at the top of the NBA when it comes to rebounding with 48.3 per game. On the other side, Golden State also grabs a lot of rebounds, with a rank of third (45.9 per game).
Oklahoma City is ranked second in defensive rebounds, while Golden State ranks 20th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Thunder force a turnover rate of 12.4%, ranked fourth in the NBA. When the Warriors turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a fantastic 52-11 record.
