Fantasy Weekend: Thunder face a pair of winnable games

The OKC Thunder rebounded from their losing streak by destroying the Golden State Warriors once again

Basketball seems fun again in Oklahoma City. At least for the time being. A few nights ago, the OKC Thunder toppled the Golden State Warriors for the second time this season. The win came at the perfect time for a club that had lost their previous four games. It is imperative that this team builds on this performance going into the All-Star weekend, which is just about a week away.

Until those festivities begin, we have a pair of games this weekend that highlight our weekly fantasy basketball focus. Tonight, the Thunder take on the pesky LA Lakers in Staples Center, looking to avenge last Sunday’s stunning loss. Then on Sunday night, the Memphis Grizzlies will limp into Chesapeake Energy Arena to cap the weekend.

Both these games are very winnable for this OKC team, but as we have seen throughout this season, anything can happen. The Thunder seem to play to the level of their competition, and it’s apparent when you look at their last two games (loss to Lakers, win over the Warriors). Hopefully they will end the weekend 2-0.

Here are my picks for the four players destined to ball out this weekend.

Paul George

How good was Paul George against Golden State? He seemed to guard everyone from Steph Curry to the ball boy, all while playing impeccable offensive basketball. It really seems like he is coming into his own in OKC, and has developed quite the chemistry with Russell Westbrook.

George averages 22 points per game, but with Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony hampered by a pair of ankle sprains, look for that number to go up this weekend. It is not confirmed if both will play or not, but it is a safe bet to say that PG-13 will play well against these two weaker opponents.

Marc Gasol

It has been a rough season for Marc Gasol and his Grizzlies. Memphis sits in the cellar of the Western Conference and is almost assured of a lottery pick at this point. Despite the struggles, I still think of Gasol as one of the better centers in the NBA.

Thunder fans have seen this man take it to their team in the past. It wouldn’t be surprising if he still has a couple tricks up his sleeves for OKC on Sunday night. Expect for Gasol to have a solid game against the Thunder. Grizzlies’ leading scorer Tyreke Evans will probably be traded before today’s trade deadline so they will need someone to score.

Brook Lopez

The last time the Lakers faced off against the OKC Thunder, Brook Lopez had himself a day. He scored 20 points and seemed like the 7-foot version of Klay Thompson with the amount of threes he hit. This fact alone makes me think that the Thunder will have difficulty stopping him once again tonight.

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Steven Adams is a complete beast, but even he struggles defending the perimeter. With the amount of time Lopez spends out there, it pulls the Kiwi away from the basket and opens plenty of opportunities for the Laker offense. Look for him to post good numbers tonight.

Patrick Patterson

This week’s sleeper selection is back-up big Patrick Patterson. His numbers have not been great this season but I think he is due for a break out game. The reason I believe this is because he is coming off a very strong performance against Golden State. Also as I mentioned above, Melo is nursing an injury so it would not surprise me to see Patterson get starter-like minutes this weekend.

It would not be a surprise to me if Patterson shows out against the Lakers and Grizzlies. The veteran is due for a couple good shooting nights, and could be the difference in some closer fantasy match-ups.