Thunder vs Warriors: Pregame Primer

vs.

Warriors (31-5, 14-4 road) vs. Thunder (18-20, 11-7 home)

TV: ESPN
Stream:  Click here
Radio:  WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 1300 AM The Buzz Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 104.2 (21st), Warriors – 111.1 (4th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.7 (9th), Warriors – 99.8 (1st)

The Thunder pulled within 10 just two minutes in the fourth quarter last night, and looked poised to make a patented run to possibly steal a game on the road. Instead Brooks immediately put Westbrook to join Durant and the Rockets took the lead back up to 15 before either could put down a cup of Gatorade. Ball game.

Tonight it’s the 31-5 Warriors — a team already 3-0 vs. OKC this season. On Nov. 23 the Warriors topped Thunder U by just five points at home. Then again by five on Dec. 18 in Oakland (Durant’s injury game). And finally a 26-point drumming at home vs. OKC just 11 days ago.

Maybe fourth time’s a charm?

3 Big Things

1. Brooks. Not trying to beat a dead horse — I think he does a lot of swell things for this team, but once again Andrew Bogut isn’t playing in this game which means 90 percent of this game the Warriors will have Marreese Speights or Draymond Green at the 5. The Thunder is versatile and athletic enough — if not more so — to match up with super small lineups and never miss a beat. If Brooks plays two bigs for any length of time against this team it tends to get ugly really fast. Curry feasts on slower bigs in the P/R especially when said big has to get out to a three-point shooter.

2. KD and Russ. Sounds clichè, but energy and effort starts with these two and it hasn’t been there on a championship level since the first quarter against the Warriors on Dec 18. Westbrook was sensational on Christmas Day against the Spurs in this department and you could see how it infused the entire team. What’s it going to take to get everyone on the same page for 48 minutes? Time to fight.

3. Transition Defense. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry. Find Curry.

Thursday’s COTN: “so we going to thank the reporter for suggesting going small to Brooks during that interview?” – @bmuelle23

Who sent in their question to David Aldridge at the end of the first?

Tip at 7:00 CT. Go Find Curry.