Thunder vs. Suns: Pregame Primer
vs.
Thunder (55-20, 23-13 road) vs. Suns (45-31, 25-14 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 1300 AM The Buzz Tulsa)
Time: 8:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 110.3 (7th), Suns – 109.6 (8th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.4 (5th), Suns – 106.7 (14th)
Pace: Thunder – 95.6 (9th), Suns – 95.8 (6th)
OK, so set your DVR for Game of Thrones, because you want to be watching as Kevin Durant goes for a 41st consecutive game with at least 25 points. Because that’s a big deal. Also: This game is quietly a big deal. The Thunder are mostly settling in to the No. 2 seed, but obviously prefer winning and making sure they don’t let the Clippers gain ground. Along with the fact the Suns are completely desperate.
Hard to forget what happened the last time these teams played. The Thunder played defense like the current incarnation of the Lakers, and got lit up all over the floor from the outside. It was a loss to a good team, but it still felt bad.
Considering Friday’s game against the Rockets and the last game being a close loss, I fully expect a good performance from the Thunder tonight. Russell Westbrook is back in the lineup, as is Kendrick Perkins and the team should have a bit of an edge to it tonight.
Three Big Things
1. Don’t let Gerald Green score 50. Pretty simple here, guys. Don’t let Gerald Green make nine 3s again, OK?
2. Transition. The Suns like to shoot 3s, but they do it in transition or half transition opportunities. The Suns are fast and athletic, and can create turnovers and open floor opportunities. The Thunder need to take care of the ball, take good shots that don’t lead to runouts, and make sure they get matched up.
3. Get that 25. Go get your 25, KD. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not a big deal. Because it definitely is. However, maybe you need to pretend it’s not, because it seemed like maybe you pressed a bit too much against the Spurs and Rockets. So just forget about it and let it fly.
Tip at 8:00 CT. Go Westeros.
