The Oklahoma City Thunder were absolutely spectacular in a 125-88 drubbing of Memphis on the road on Tuesday night. They’ll take that momentum back home in a showdown against the Atlanta Hawks tonight. The Hawks already beat the Thunder in Atlanta on November 30, but are coming in on the second night of a back-to-back.
Craving for more hoops action? Fear not. Check out our complete previews for the Clippers vs. Bulls and 76ers vs. Nets.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Atlanta Hawks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Preview
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City
When: Thursday, December 10, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Atlanta Hawks at Oklahoma City Thunder – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Atlanta Hawks (14-9)
With the backcourt failing to gain traction at Dallas—Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver went a combined 6 of 19—Paul Millsap and Al Horford were there to save the day in a 98-95 victory. Millsap led the Hawks with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Horford had 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Look for Atlanta’s dynamic frontcourt duo to remain strong contributors against Oklahoma City. The two combined for 47 points and 24 rebounds in a 106-100 home win over the Thunder on November 30. Both Millsap and Horford finished with a double-double in that game.
A meeting against Oklahoma City could also get more out of Teague and Korver. Teague scored 25 points (one point shy of his season-high) on 59 percent shooting against the Thunder in their first matchup. He added five assists and three rebounds in a complete effort, but his six turnovers left much to be desired. Korver had some success with his outside shot, sinking in 3 of 9 three-pointers to help lift the Hawks to a win.
Getting their outside shooting in order will be important for the Hawks. Oklahoma City is middling in the league when it comes to defending against the three-pointer, allowing opponents to shoot 35 percent from beyond the arc this season. Teague should be a solid bet from deep, hitting 44 percent of his three-pointers in December. But Korver is in quite a funk, shooting just 31 percet from three-point territory this month.
Horford and Millsap could also go off on their outside shot as big men who could reliably stretch the court. Setting up the perfect open shot from deep should be manageable for the Hawks. They’re one of the best passing teams in the league with 25.3 assists per game second only to the Golden State Warriors.
The Hawks are 2-5 SU/ATS in their last seven on the road.
Betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder (13-8)
KD for the win! Kevin Durant was superb in Oklahoma City’s 125-88 drubbing of Memphis on Tuesday, leading the Thunder on the strength of 32 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. He sizzled from the floor, shooting a stellar 11 of 14 including 4 of 5 from downtown.
Durant has a chance to explode once again against Atlanta after dropping 25 points, six rebounds and six assists on the Hawks on the road November 30. It’s not all KD, though. Russell Westbrook was pretty tame against Memphis with just 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting. But he went crazy feeding the ball to his teammates to match a season-high 16 assists. It was his second straight game with double digit assists after finishing with a triple-double (19 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) against Sacramento on Sunday.
Expect Westbrook to be a triple-double threat against Atlanta. He had 34 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in their November 30 loss. Another Thunder player playing lights out recently is Serge Ibaka. The Oklahoma City power forward scored 17 points on 8 of 15 shooting against Memphis. He also had 17 points on 8 of 15 shooting against Atlanta, but added four big blocks to boost Oklahoma City’s defense.
The trio of Westbrook, Durant and Ibaka should be a solid anchor to help Oklahoma City continue its dominance of the Hawks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunder are 7-3 SU/ATS in their last 10 home games against Atlanta.
Writer’s Prediction
The Thunder get their revenge in a blowout victory. Create a betting account now and cash in on daily basketball action.
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