Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs preview – 03/31/17
By Chris Hughes
The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to make it three wins in a row tonight on their return to the Chesapeake Energy Arena, as they host the San Antonio Spurs. Tip-off is 8:00 PM E.T.
After two fantastic comeback wins against both the Dallas Mavericks and the Orlando Magic to start the week, you wouldn’t blame Thunder fans for wanting a less heart-racing affair against the San Antonio Spurs tonight.
On Wednesday, OKC produced a 21-point comeback, the largest in franchise history, to beat the Magic in overtime. Star guard and MVP candidate Russell Westbrook shot 57 points and grabbed a triple-double setting a record for most points scored in a triple-double.
The Spurs meanwhile tasted defeat in their last match, giving up a big lead themselves to the Golden State Warriors. It was also the last match of a four-game home-stand for the Texan franchise.
The game promises to be a tough test with no obvious winner, with the Thunder one of the most successful teams this season on home-court. However San Antonio boast the league’s best record on the road, having still only lost nine games away from the AT&T Center with less than ten games to go.
A win for OKC could help them knock on the door of the fourth and fifth seed, with Billy Donovan‘s side now confirmed to have reached the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons.
Meanwhile it’s unlikely that the Spurs will move from their second-seeded position, as they now sit 3.5 wins behind the Warriors. However, they do have a six and a half game buffer on the Houston Rockets beneath them in third.
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Previous Meetings
The season series currently sits at 1-1, with both match-ups having come since the turn of the calendar year. The first meeting occurred in Texas, ended 108-94 in favor of the hosts. The return game in Oklahoma City finished with a 102-92 scoreline to the Thunder.
However since their six-game win-steak ended in March 2015 OKC haven’t managed to beat the Spurs on consecutive occasions in the regular season. The full game log reads as a back-and-forth affair too, with San Antonio boasting a narrow edge with 89 wins in comparison to the Thunder’s 73.
Westbrook meanwhile has scored at least 20 points in his last three games against the Spurs. Kawhi Leonard has led his side in scoring against the Thunder in each of the last four encounters.
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Battle of the MVPs
There’s no denial that tonight’s match-up will be decided by two of what are arguably the four main MVP candidates – Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard.
The former has written his own headlines this season having grabbed 38 triple-doubles for the campaign coupled with a league-leading 31.8 points per game.
Russ has shot at least 37 points in in each of his last three games, and has been a stellar part of OKC’s 8-2 run as of late.
Westbrook will be helped on the back-court by Victor Oladipo, who has scored double figures in his last five outings for the side. His season average sits at a cool 16.3 points per game.
Expect Jerami Grant to get some more minutes tonight too. Whilst he might not of scored against the Magic last night, his tenacious work earned him a +30 plus/minus from just 19 minutes of play.
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While the 25-year-old Kawhi Leonard may not boast the same level of stat-line to that of Westbrook’s, the small forward has been fantastic at both ends of the court for San Antonio this season.
The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is averaging nearly 26 points for the season, a figure that would comfortably stand as his career high. Kawhi’s game has changed slightly too this season. He’s averaging less rebounds per game but is also comfortably heading for a career-high season in assists, thanks to a 3.5 average.
Leonard will be helped on his way on the front-court thanks to experienced Pau Gasol and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. The former is leading his side is rebounds with a little under eight per game, whilst Aldridge has chipped in with a solid 17.5 points per game.
Predicted Line-ups
Oklahoma City Thunder:
- Point Guard: Russell Westbrook
- Shooting Guard: Victor Oladipo
- Small Forward: Andre Roberson
- Power Forward: Taj Gibson
- Center: Steven Adams
Notable Substitutes: Enes Kanter (C, PF), Doug McDermott (SF), Jerami Grant (SF, PF).
San Antonio Spurs:
- Point Guard: Tony Parker
- Shooting Guard: Danny Green
- Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard
- Power Forward: LaMarcus Aldridge
- Center: Pau Gasol
Notable Substitutions: Manu Ginobli (SG), Patty Mills (PG).
Check out Thunderous Intentions for more!
Game Specifics
Per ESPN, both coaches will have full rosters available to them tonight, with each of them having a clean bill of health.
The match is set to take place at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, with an 8:00 PM Eastern tip-off. It is being broadcast on both locals channels (Fox Sports Oklahoma and KENS HD) as well as NBA League Pass.
Alternatively, you can listen along on WWLS 98.1FM OKC if you’re an Oklahoma City native.
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If you enjoyed this preview check out Chris Hughes’ Thunderous Intentions page for more articles.