Carmelo Anthony returns to NY as Thunder face the Knicks
By Yams
Keys to the game
Glass cleaning contest
Both teams grab 44.3 rebounds per game. However, the Thunder average more team rebounds than the Knicks do, with the Thunder getting 10.3 team rebounds per game to the Knicks’ 8.4 team rebounds per game.
The Thunder are also the best offensive-rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 12.3 offensive rebounds per game. Capitalizing on all those second chances is a must.
Oklahoma City still has their work cut out for them as the Knicks average the seventh-most offensive rebounds per game (10.8). They have to limit those to a minimum if they want to come out of NYC with a win.
Turn defense into offense
The Thunder have an elite defensive unit. The Thunder are fourth in scoring defense, allowing 100.1 points per game. They’re second in defensive rating (100.7), which is just 0.1 points/100 possessions worse than the league-leading Boston Celtics. They’re first in steals per game (9.9), team deflections per game (18) and loose balls recovered per game (9).
The Thunder’s disruptive defense has a prime opportunity to score off of Knicks turnovers, as they average 15.9 turnovers per game (6th most in the NBA).
The Thunder score an average of 19.1 points per game off turnovers, which is the third best mark in the NBA. They need to score as much as possible off of Knicks turnovers due to the immense struggles that the offense has experienced this season.
Stay locked in on defense
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
This has been a big issue for the Thunder this season. 8 of their 14 losses have come in games in which they’ve had a double-digit lead. They always start out strong and then suffer a breakdown after halftime, especially on the defensive end of things.
The Thunder have an 93.1 defensive rating in the first quarter (best in the NBA) and a 97.8 defensive rating in the second quarter (2nd best in the NBA).
In the third quarter, however, their defensive rating become 105.7. As for the fourth quarter, that figure rises to 107.3.
The Thunder’s defensive play continuously worsens as the game goes on, which is worrying. Should this trend continue, the Thunder would be putting themselves at risk of losing against a Knicks team that shoots 47.1% from the field.