Oklahoma City pulled to within one game of New Orleans for ninth place in the Western Conference standings with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Pelicans Wednesday night. They will look to draw even with the Pelicans’ slate when they square off once again this coming Friday at the Thunder’s home arena.
Can the Thunder record back-to-back wins over the Pelicans? Or will New Orleans exact some revenge and win their season series with Oklahoma City? Read on below for a preview of this showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our NCAA game previews of Kentucky vs. Florida and Louisville vs. Virginia.
[sc:NBAArticles ]New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma
When: Friday, February 6, 2015, 8:00 PM ET
Line: New Orleans Pelicans at Oklahoma City Thunder – view all NBA lines
Betting on the New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans had their two-game winning streak snapped Wednesday after succumbing to Oklahoma City in a showdown at Smoothie King Center. It was a bad shooting night for the Pelicans, particularly in the second half, where they shot a miserable 14 of 46 from the field for a measly 30.4 percent clip.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Fortunately for the Pelicans, they can get revenge immediately when they face the Thunder on the road in their next game. They need to make several adjustments, though, if they are avoid a second consecutive defeat to the 2013 Western Conference champions.
First, the Pelicans need to impose their size inside the paint. Although Anthony Davis scored 23 points and hauled down eight rebounds, he was badly outplayed by Serge Ibaka down the stretch. The 7-foot star scored all of his 13 points in the second half as he dominated Davis in the latter stages of the game.
In fact, the Pelicans were outscored by the Thunder, 66-46, inside the paint. Defending the shaded area has been an ongoing problem for the Pelicans this season. They are third-worst in the league in points allowed inside the paint, conceding an average of 45.7 points per game in the shaded area.
The onus is on Davis and Omer Asik to man up against the Thunder big men. They combined for just 15 boards in their game against Oklahoma City. That’s way below their combined season average of 20.6 RPG. Controlling the boards against the Thunder will be easier said than done, however, as Oklahoma City is first in the league in rebounding this season, averaging 46.6 boards per game.
The Pelicans are 3-2 in their last five games on the road.
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Betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder
No Kevin Durant? No problem.
The Oklahoma City Thunder ignored the absence of the reigning Most Valuable Player, scoring 13 unanswered points in the final five minutes to eke out a 102-91 win against the Pelicans.
Russell Westbrook led the way for the Thunder, as he tied his career high of 45 points on 18-of-31 shooting from the field. He ignited Oklahoma City’s quick start, scoring a career-best 19 points in the first quarter alone. It has been a fantastic couple of games for the 26-year-old who also recorded a triple-double in his previous outing against the Orlando Magic.
The Thunder have taken advantage of Westbrook’s inspired play, winning their last two games by an average of nine points. This comes at a critical time for the Thunder who entered this stretch having lost four of their previous five games.
For Oklahoma City to collect another win, they need to step it up on the defensive end once again. They held the Pelicans to just 38.6 percent shooting from the field, which is way below New Orleans’ season average of 45.5 FG%.
Key to their defensive success against New Orleans was the play of Serge Ibaka. Ibaka was a force for the Thunder inside the shaded area, registering a total of six blocks against the Pelicans. Ibaka is fourth in the league in blocks this season, averaging 2.15 rejections per game. Oklahoma City, as a team, recorded a total of 10 blocks against New Orleans which is way above their season average of 6.0 BPG.
The Thunder are 5-0 in their last five home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Oklahoma City wins, 108-103.
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