Game Preview: OKC Thunder look to swish the Nets for second straight win

Fresh off a victory over Utah on the road, OKC Thunder is poised for a home game with Brooklyn to continue snapping the slump.

OKC Thunder had a fiery night in Utah. With the fan fiasco worked through, the team should have clear minds going into tonight’s game looking to ignite another win-streak.

Facing the 36-33 Brooklyn Nets, OKC has a chance to build momentum before facing a brutal next five games. However, the Nets have already built up solid momentum coming into tonight’s match-up.

The Nets have compiled a four-game winning streak, given none of those opponents were top five caliber teams. Prior to that, they were in a slump of their own falling to the No. 11 Wizards, No. 10 Hornets, and No. 8 Heat. Their inconsistency could be a huge factor as OKC is desperate for a win before facing the Pacers and Golden State to finish the week.

One alarming win in Brooklyn’s column is the 135-130 victory over Denver. The team had five or more points from every player to touch the court, so bench performance will be crucial tonight. Additionally, Brooklyn sits second in the league for bench points averaging 47.6 points per game.

Brooklyn has a losing record on the road, just 15-17 on the season while OKC Thunder has a 22-9 home record.

The two teams last met in December in Brooklyn. OKC came away with the 2-point win, with a stellar performance from MVPG. He hit the game winning 3-ball to end the night with a 47-point double-double.

On the court, they were evenly matched both shooting in the 43 percent margin. OKC commanded the boards, outrebounding Brooklyn 71-52. However, OKC was outshot at the free throw line shooting 57.7 percent compared to the Nets’ 76.7 percent. With Paul George struggling to find his rhythm again, OKC really can’t gamble by allowing another 23 points at the line.

With that, let’s get into the specifics of tonight’s game.