The Oklahoma City Thunder and their second-ranked offense travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs and their first-ranked defense in Game of the Western Conference Semifinals. Action starts at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, May 10 and will air on TNT.
The Spurs fell to the Thunder 111-97 on Sunday. Tony Parker was the team’s leading scorer, recording 22 points.
This matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as the Spurs rank fourth in the NBA in offensive efficiency (109.2), while the Thunder are second (110.5). Also, the Thunder’s second-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 110.5) will face off against the first-ranked defense of the Spurs (defensive efficiency of 97.2).
The Spurs come into this game 73-17 Straight Up (SU) and 49-41 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 73-17 SU and 49-41 ATS against teams from the Western Conference. The Spurs are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting a stellar .803 from the free throw line. San Antonio is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.96. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, teams have to fight for three-pointers against the Spurs, who allow the fewest opponent three-pointers made in the league at 590 (6.0 per game).
On the other side, the Thunder have 61-30 SU and 41-47-3 ATS records. Oklahoma City has records of 61-30 SU and 41-47-3 ATS against the West. The Thunder have controlled the glass with an NBA-best 48.3 rebounds per game. The Thunder average 102.5 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 91.0 points per game during that span. Oklahoma City’s three-point defense is one of the top in the league, with opponents making only 7.0 shots from the three-point line per game.
With the Thunder’s last win against San Antonio, Oklahoma City is still behind in the head-to-head record over the past 10 meetings, 4-6 SU. On the other hand, the Thunder lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
“San Antonio is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games “.
“San Antonio is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Antonio’s last 11 games “.
“San Antonio is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games at home”.
“San Antonio is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio’s last 6 games at home”.
“San Antonio is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio’s last 7 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City”.
Oklahoma City averages a solid 109.8 points per game this season. However, San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed, giving up just 92.7 points per game.
Oklahoma City averages a solid 110.8 points per away game this season. However, San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed at home, giving up just 90.4 points per game.
Oklahoma City has a formidable 32-6 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. San Antonio is 20-14 when it scores under 100.
Oklahoma City is 29-24 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Spurs have a fantastic 53-3 record when hitting triple digits.
The Spurs have the best defense in the NBA, with a defensive rating of 97.2. The Thunder’s offense ranks a solid second, with an offensive rating of 110.5.
Ranked second in the NBA, San Antonio has an average field goal percentage of 48.4%. Oklahoma City is 10-7 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The San Antonio Spurs average 18.0 three point attempts per game, and the Oklahoma City Thunder attempt 23.0 per game. When going for at least 25 three pointers in a game this season, San Antonio is an even 2-2, while Oklahoma City has a record of 24-13.
San Antonio has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.96 this season (ranked second), while Oklahoma City ranks lower at 24th with an A/TO of 1.49.
Oklahoma City is the best rebounding team in the NBA this season with 48.3 per game. On the other side, San Antonio is in the top half of the league, ranking 14th with 43.6 per game.
The Spurs rank sixth in defensive rebounds, and the Thunder rank first in the league in offensive rebounds.
Though San Antonio is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.1% (ranked second), Oklahoma City has a solid 27-16 record SU when its TOV% is 15.1% or greater.
