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Top Five OKC Thunder 2017 Christmas Day matchups

By Austin Sternlicht

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 12: Russell Westbrook
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 12: Russell Westbrook /
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Honorable Mentions

New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels could be an exciting team this year, especially if Anthony Davis and DeMarcus cousins can figure out how to play together. Christmas is a day for the best players to shine. There is no question New Orleans has two clear-cut superstars on its roster. However, the rest of the team doesn’t raise any eyebrows.

Denver Nuggets: With the addition of Paul MIllsap, this team is certainly on the rise. Nikola Jokic has become one of the most exciting young players in the league. If Jamal Murray and Gary Harris can continue to develop, Denver will certainly have potential. That said, the Nuggets are still probably a year away from being a truly competitive force, especially in the West.

Los Angeles Lakers: Make no mistake, the Lakers are not a playoff team this year. The Thunder are a far better team and a game between these two shouldn’t be close. The only intrigue would be if it was Paul George’s first game in L.A. before his pending free agency. Maybe the Thunder beat the Lakers so badly, he realizes there would be no point in going to L.A.

OKC Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MARCH 07: Portland Trail Blazers Guard C.J. McCollum (3) making his move towards the basket versus Oklahoma City Thunder on March 07, 2017, at the Chesapeake Energy Arena Oklahoma City, OK. (Photo by Torrey Purvey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Portland Trail Blazers

There is something about Portland that makes Russell Westbrook tick. He scored a career-high 58 points against the Blazers last season in a 126-121 loss. Surprisingly, Portland beat OKC in three of the four matchups last year. What’s even more surprising is how low analytics are on Portland this upcoming season. Using advanced metrics, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton predicts the Blazers will finish 10th in the West with 43.8 wins on average. The Blazers won 41 games last season, but turned it on late after trading for Jusuf Nurkic. When Nurkic played, the Blazers went 14-6, including wins over Houston and at San Antonio. With a full season of Nurkic, the Blazers should be a much better team.

Of course, Portland’s intrigue is that it has one of the most exciting backcourts in the league. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum can go off on any given night. These two divisional foes will be battling it out all season, so a Christmas day stage would be an appropriate setting.

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