The San Antonio Spurs (51-26) will attempt to keep their seven-game winning streak alive when they meet the Oklahoma City Thunder (42-35) at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Apr. 7 and can be seen on TNT and FSN-OK.
The Thunder are are hoping for a better outcome after their 115-112 loss to the Rockets on Sunday. Russell Westbrook earned his 29th double-double of the year. He had a good game in defeat for Oklahoma City, registering 40 points and 13 assists. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a 107-92 win against the Warriors on Sunday. Kawhi Leonard was the game’s top scorer, accounting for 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting.
Enes Kanter has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Thunder. During that stretch, he has averaged 20.8 points, 14.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks. Leonard has upped his play for the Spurs. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 3.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.4 three-pointers.
Expect this one to be a clinic on boxing out, as two of the NBA’s top rebounding teams face off. Oklahoma City is among the league’s best on the offensive glass, ranking second in offensive rebound percentage at 28.7%. Meanwhile, San Antonio ranks fourth in the NBA at corralling defensive boards with a defensive rebound percentage of 77.3%.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Spurs had the upper hand in the most recent game, a blowout 130-91 win. In the victory, Tony Parker led all scorers with 21 points.
The odds for Oklahoma City and San Antonio are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Thunder have gone 42-35 Straight Up (SU) and 37-38-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 22-26 SU and 24-23-1 ATS against the Western Conference. The rebounding edge goes to the Thunder in this matchup, who average a league-best 47.6 rebounds per game. Oklahoma City’s defense has been struggling to keep points off the board over their most recent matchups. The Thunder have given up an average of 109.6 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 101.4 PPG.
Over on the other bench, the Spurs have a record of 39-36-2 ATS and 51-26 SU. San Antonio performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 9-1 record. The Spurs convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fourth in the league at .780. The Spurs are an unselfish team with an average of 24.3 assists per game, ranking fourth in the NBA. The Spurs average 97.0 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 89.8 points per game during that span. The Spurs are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only 6.8 field goals from three-point range per game. One advantage for the Spurs could be Oklahoma City’s high fouls per game average of 22.4.
With the Spurs’ last win against Oklahoma City, they evened up the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 5-5 SU. They are also even ATS in their last 10 games. In these last 10 matchups, Oklahoma City held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice, with San Antonio controlling all three of these areas once.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA, ATS Winner – SA
Notes
On average, San Antonio puts up 102.9 points per game (ranked ninth). Oklahoma City ranks 21st in points allowed per game with 101.4.
San Antonio scores an average of 98.3 points per away game (ranked 15th). Oklahoma City ranks 20th in points allowed per home game with 99.7.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the San Antonio Spurs are a dazzling 37-9. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a subpar record of 7-21.
San Antonio is 14-17 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Thunder have a winning 35-14 record when hitting triple digits.
The Thunder have a defensive rating of 102.2 (ranked 14th), while the Spurs rank seventh for their offensive rating of 105.6.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking fourth in the league with a FG% of 46.5%. When their opponents have a similar or higher FG%, the Oklahoma City Thunder are 10-14.
The Oklahoma City Thunder average 22.6 three point attempts per game and are 10-12 when attempting at least 25 in a game. The San Antonio Spurs average 22.8 attempts and have a solid record (17-10) when attempting 25 or more.
Oklahoma City has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.45 this season (ranked 24th). San Antonio ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.81 (ranked sixth).
Oklahoma City is the best rebounding team in the NBA this season with 47.6 per game. On the other side, San Antonio is in the top half of the league, ranking 14th with 43.7 per game.
Oklahoma City ranks second in defensive rebounding, placing the team near the top of the pack. San Antonio, however, ranks 27th in offensive rebounds.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s opponents have an average turnover percentage of 12.9% this season. The San Antonio Spurs are 27-19 SU when their TOV% is 12.9% or higher.
