In what could be a potential first-round playoff preview in the West, this should be a fun one in primetime. Denver made some changes at the deadline to fix up their roster a bit. They have Michael Porter Jr. likely coming back soon, and when he does, he should be able to right back into the mode he had been in.
He is having a tremendous season for them, showing many teams they were simply too worried about his injury history when deciding to pass on him.
Oklahoma City, on the other hand, was not expected by many to be where they are. But when you add CP3, a young star in SGA, and a scorer like Danilo Gallinari, you do remain as a pretty solid ball club. They aren’t what they were when they had Russ and Paul George, but still, they fight hard every night and don’t relent.
They have come back from several 20-point deficits this season, something that should be bragged about loudly. They have been fun to watch all season.
The Thunder are 1.5-point favorites at home tonight, the over/under set at 215.
Denver looking to keep things rolling
It is unclear if they’ll get Will Barton back tonight, but what we do know is that the moves they made at the deadline helped to solidify a consistent rotation. They didn’t get any stars, but players who can contribute when needed.
Keita Bates-Diop is an athletic two-way player, Noah Vonleh a nice replacement when Plumlee is out and Jordan McRae providing instant offense off the bench. Monte Morris cannot be commended for his effort during a long injury stretch from Jamal Murray.
Things just keep going their way, and Nikola Jokic is looking even better than he had in past years. He is a true superstar.
They’ll have their hands full tonight, but a win is still very possible. They should look to try and get Steven Adams in foul trouble, so Jokic doesn’t have to bang down low with him all night.
Thunder looking for a win at home
Currently 11 games over .500, they are tied with Dallas for the #6 spot in the conference. Their first-round matchup will be tough no matter who they get, but they will be ready to claw and fight until the end.
And 35-year-old Chris Paul in year 15 found his way back to the All-Star Game for the first time in four years, something not too many guys can do at this age. He plays hard and always makes winning plays on both ends of the floor.
Despite a basically brand new team compared to last year sans Ferguson, Schroder and Steven Adams, everything is continuing to roll their way.
They’ll need to slow Jokic down and try to limit the damage done by Denver’s point guards tonight.
Thunder win a tight one at home
Bet on the Thunder! It’ll be a close game in Oklahoma City, and they’ll get the win.
Free Play: OKC -1.5
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