OKC Thunder prepare to disrupt Cavs with spirited opening quarter
Chris Paul v Collin Sexton:
The OKC Thunder’s Paul has a close relationship with the Cavs’ Sexton. Paul coached his AAU team and since being drafted into the NBA in 2018, he’s continued to mentor him.
On the court however, the pair are competitors playing the same position and controlling their team’s offense.
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It’s All-Star against budding rising-star and you can dispute that the Cavs player should be there. Sexton is averaging 19.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Paul is averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists.
Their stats are similar but what sets Paul apart is that he does have more experience but he can also get his teammates involved which is shown by his dimes.
His no look slash passes and vision to know what a player is going to do before they even move are incredible.
Danilo Gallinari v Kevin Love:
Love had a stunning game against New York scoring a game and season-high 33 points and added 13 rebounds and six assists. The power forward was relentless on both sides of the floor.
He once said that he considers himself a post player who can shoot and not a stretch four but either way his skillfulness to shoot, rebound and post up is key to winning for the Cavs.
The Thunder’s sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari is an immense difference maker for his team. When OKC is in a slump or having difficulty with their shooting he can get them back into the game with his long 3-pointers.
The Italian big man is averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season. It’s going to be very interesting to see how he and Love matchup with their resembling game.
Odds predictions:
I predict that the OKC Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers will accumulate more than the 219.5 total points. This is due to the Thunder being top 20 for offensive rating and also the fact that the last time these teams met, OKC scored 121 points in comparison to the Cavs 106. That is a total of 227 points.
Game Specifics
The Venue: Chesapeake Energy Arena
Tipoff: 8:00 PM ET | 7:00 PM CT
TV: FS Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1 FM OKC
History:
The teams have played each other 22 times in their franchise history with the Cleveland Cavaliers holding a 12-10 advantage.
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Enjoy the game and check back after for player grades and takeaways.