The Oklahoma City Thunder (40-14) welcome the Indiana Pacers (28-25) in a matchup that pits the second-ranked offense against the fourth-ranked defense. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 19 and will air on ESP, FxI and FxK.
The Thunder easily got past the Pelicans 121-95 in their last game. Russell Westbrook was a key piece, recording his 36th double-double this season with 23 points and 10 assists. The Pacers, meanwhile, are coming off a demoralizing 117-95 loss at the hands of the Hornets in their last outing. Paul George had a team-high 22 points.
This matchup 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 Indiana is fourth in defensive efficiency.
The Thunder are attempting to build on their records of 40-14 Straight Up (SU) and 22-31-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 40-14 SU and 22-31-1 ATS versus the Eastern Conference. Below average play has been the norm lately for the Thunder. In the last 10 games, Oklahoma City has only averaged 101.8 points per game compared to the 110.1 they’ve averaged on the season. The Thunder do a great job keeping their opponents off of the glass and limiting second-chance points. They average 34.9 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks fourth in the NBA.
In the other locker room, the Pacers head into the game with records of 27-26 ATS and 28-25 SU. Against the Western Conference, Indiana is 28-25 SU and 27-26 ATS. Indiana has been playing better lately, averaging 116.7 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 102.5. The Pacers average 100.3 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 110.4 points per game during that span. Teams with weak ball handling have not fared well against the Pacers, who rank fourth in the league with 9.3 steals per game. Indiana is the second-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 20.0 per game.
The Thunder and the Pacers meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Indiana won the last game in the matchup, but the win was not enough to overtake Oklahoma City in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, the Thunder have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC
Notes
Indiana ranks 10th in points per game with 102.5, while Oklahoma City ranks 16th in points allowed with an average of 101.9 given up.
Oklahoma City ranks 10th in points allowed per home game (98.8 PPG), while Indiana ranks ninth in points per away game with 102.2.
Oklahoma City has a stellar 23-2 record when it allows under 100 points this season. Indiana is 10-12 when it puts up under 100.
Oklahoma City has a 17-12 record when allowing at least 100 points. Indiana has an 18-13 record when it reaches the century mark.
The Thunder have the second-best offensive rating in the NBA (110.7). The Pacers are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 100.2 (ranked fourth).
Oklahoma City averages fewer possessions per game than Indiana, with 99.4 compared to 100.1. However, the Thunder score an average of 1.107 points per possession, more than the 1.025 that the Pacers score.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with an EFF% of 52.3%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Indiana Pacers have an abysmal 3-13 record.
On average, the Oklahoma City Thunder make 22.4 assists per game and the Indiana Pacers make 20.3. Oklahoma City is ranked 10th, while Indiana is ranked 25th.
Oklahoma City makes an average of 6.4 blocks per game (ranked third), while Indiana makes 4.6 blocks per game (ranked 17th).
The Oklahoma City Thunder are among the best offensive rebounding teams in the league (ranked second). The Indiana Pacers are in the top half of NBA teams in defensive rebounding (ranked 14th).
The Indiana Pacers rank fourth in steals, with an average of 9.3 per game. When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow at least 9 steals, they have a solid 17-8 record.
