Basketball fans are in for a treat later tonight as the NBA has set up a pair of mouth-watering clashes. First off, the Golden State Warriors square off with the Atlanta Hawks in a marquee showdown between two of the league’s top teams.
Then, over at the Sooner State, the Oklahoma City Thunder look to make it three wins in a row when they face Western Conference rivals New Orleans Pelicans. Read on below for our quick breakdown of these two matchups and while you’re at it, you can check out our complete preview of the Pelicans-Thunder game here.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Golden State Warriors vs. Atlanta Hawks (7:30 PM ET)
Line: Golden State Warriors (-1.5) at Atlanta Hawks (+1.5); total: 215.0 – view all NBA lines
[sc:NBA240banner ]Golden State extended its winning run to three games with a thrilling come-from-behind 128-114 victory over Dallas Wednesday night. Trailing the Mavericks by 22 points in the first half, the Warriors leaned on the brilliance of Stephen Curry to complete the comeback win. He exploded for 51 points on 16 of 26 shooting from the field to help power the Warriors to their 39th win of the season.
They can ill afford another poor start in their next game, however, as they’ll next face the Eastern Conference leaders Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks returned to winning ways Wednesday with a comfortable 105-96 win over the Washington Wizards. Jeff Teague scored 26 points and dished out eight assists for the Hawks who won for the 20th time in their last 21 games.
The Warriors are 5-0 in their last five meetings with the Hawks.
Writer’s Prediction
Atlanta wins, 114-107.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (10:00 PM ET)
Line: New Orleans Pelicans at Oklahoma City Thunder – view all NBA lines
Two days after their epic shootout at Sleep Train Arena, New Orleans and Oklahoma City renew hostilities as they square off once again this time in Chesapeake Arena. Russell Westbrook proved to be the difference in their last encounter, torching the Pelicans for a career-high 45 points to lead the Thunder to an impressive 102-91 victory.
Defense played a key part in their victory as well as they held the Pelicans to a paltry 38.9% field goal shooting clip. Serge Ibaka was a monster inside the shaded area for the Thunder as he recorded a total of six blocks. He also chipped in 13 points, all of which he scored in the second half.
Oklahoma City is 7-3 in its last 10 meetings with New Orleans.
Writer’s Prediction
Oklahoma City wins, 112-105. Create a betting account now and cash in on the best games for tonight.
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