Russell Westbrook (27.6 PPG), the league’s top scorer, and the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-30) will be at home in Chesapeake Energy Arena to challenge the Atlanta Hawks (53-15). Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 20 and can be seen on SPSO and FSN-OK.
The Thunder played well in their last game, topping the Celtics 122-118 on Wednesday. Westbrook played a pivotal role, recording his 24th double-double of the season with 36 points and 10 assists. The Hawks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the deflating 114-95 loss against the Warriors on Wednesday. Atlanta still lost despite the best efforts of DeMarre Carroll, who recorded his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Enes Kanter has taken his game to another level for the Thunder, averaging 20.0 points, 12.2 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.8 steals.
In terms of effective field goal percentage, this game will match strength against strength when the Hawks have possession. Their sharp-shooting offense is ranked third in the league in that metric at 52.6%, while Oklahoma City is fifth-best in the NBA in effective field goal percentage defense (48.0%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first matchup 103-93. Westbrook put up 22 points and 11 assists.
The odds for Oklahoma City and Atlanta are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Thunder come into this game 38-30 Straight Up (SU) and 33-33-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 18-9 SU and 11-15-1 ATS against the Eastern Conference. The Thunder have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 112.3 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 103.1 points per game. The rebounding edge goes to the Thunder in this matchup, who average a league-best 47.7 rebounds per game. Oklahoma City’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 110.2 during that span, compared to its 100.5 season average.
Over on the other bench, the Hawks have 53-15 SU and 42-26 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Atlanta is 21-6 SU and 18-9 ATS. The Hawks rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking fifth in the league with 675 made (9.9 per game). The Hawks are an unselfish team with an average of 25.5 assists per game, ranking second in the NBA. The Hawks are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only .435 shooting from the field to their opponents. Teams with weak ball handling have not fared well against the Hawks, who rank fifth in the league with 8.9 steals per game. Atlanta is the fifth-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.3 per game. One advantage for the Hawks could be Oklahoma City’s high fouls per game average of 22.4.
With the Hawks’ last win against Oklahoma City, Atlanta moved closer to evening up its record against Oklahoma City. It now stands at 3-7 SU over the last 10 meetings. The Thunder also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Oklahoma City and Atlanta both held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once over the last 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC, ATS Winner – OKC
Notes
On average, Atlanta puts up 102.5 points per game (ranked 10th). Oklahoma City ranks 18th in points allowed per game with 100.5.
Oklahoma City ranks 12th in points allowed per home game (97.9 PPG), while Atlanta ranks ninth in points per away game with 101.8.
The Thunder have a 23-9 record when they allow fewer than 100 points. The Hawks, however, have performed well when they don’t hit triple digits, with a record of 17-9 in such contests.
When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow at least 100 points they are 15-21, while the Atlanta Hawks are 36-6 when they register triple digits.
The Thunder have an offensive rating of 103.9 (ranked 12th). The Hawks rank seventh for their defensive rating of 100.1.
Oklahoma City averages 99.2 possessions per game, scoring 1.039 points on each possession. While Atlanta averages fewer possessions per game with 96.6, the team scores more points per possession with 1.061.
Atlanta is the third-ranked team in the NBA in average effective field goal percentage at 52.6%. Oklahoma City is 9-11 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Oklahoma City makes an average of 20.6 assists per game (ranked 22nd). Atlanta ranks higher in assists with 25.5 (ranked second).
Oklahoma City makes an average of 5.9 blocks per game (ranked sixth), while Atlanta makes 4.8 blocks per game (ranked 11th).
Oklahoma City is ranked second in offensive rebounding. Atlanta ranks 18th in defensive rebounds.
Atlanta averages 8.9 steals per game (ranked fifth). Oklahoma City is 21-16 when allowing at least 8 steals.
