The Oklahoma City Thunder snapped their two-game losing streak Sunday with a crucial away win over the Los Angeles Lakers. They will look to sustain the momentum from that huge victory when they take on the struggling Philadelphia 76ers, who are in the midst of a two-game tailspin.
Read on below for a preview of this matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the blockbuster Western Conference showdown between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers here.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Philadelphia 76ers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City
When: Wednesday, March 4, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Philadelphia 76ers (+15) at Oklahoma City Thunder (-15); total 203.0 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the 76ers suffered a stinging 114-103 defeat to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. It was the second consecutive loss for the 76ers and their seventh defeat in their last eight games.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Unsurprisingly, it was Philadelphia’s defense that was once again the main culprit behind its defeat. The 76ers surrendered 114 points to a Raptors team that had failed to breach the 100-point mark during their previous five-game losing streak.
Even without leading scorer Kyle Lowry in the lineup, the Raptors wreaked havoc on Philadelphia’s feeble defense, shooting 51.3 percent (41-of-80) from the field. The 76ers had problems dealing with DeMar DeRozan, who exploded for a season-high 35 points for the Raptors. Philadelphia is now 1-31 when giving up more than 100 points this season.
The 76ers will need to shore up their defense if they want to snap their skid against the Thunder. It will be easier said than done, however, as Oklahoma City is 10th in the NBA in scoring this season, averaging 101.8 PPG.
The good news for 76ers coach Brett Brown is that Oklahoma City stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will sit this game out because of varying injuries. This is a prime opportunity for the Sixers to grab a shock win but they will need to limit their miscues if they are to take down the Thunder on the road.
The 76ers lead the league in turnovers this season, committing a whopping 18.6 errors per game. The Sixers turned the ball over 19 times in their first meeting with the Thunder this season, which resulted in 22 Oklahoma City points. Those errors helped the Thunder cruise to a 103-91 win over Philadelphia last December 5.
Philadelphia is 0-10 in its last 10 games on the road.
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Betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder
This Oklahoma City team is well-stacked.
The Oklahoma City Thunder bucked the absence of superstar duo Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to cruise past the struggling Los Angeles Lakers, 108-101, on Sunday night. It was a crucial victory for the Thunder as they moved one game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Stepping up big time for the Thunder were their new recruits, D.J. Augustin and Enes Kanter. Augustin had 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists while ex-Utah center Kanter scored 16 points and hauled down 15 boards to grab his 17th double-double of the season.
With Westbrook (fractured cheekbone) and Durant (right foot) still unavailable for their upcoming game against Philadelphia because of their respective injuries, the onus is on Augustin and Kanter to pick up the scoring cudgels for the Thunder. It certainly won’t be easy considering Durant and Westbrook are the team’s top two gunners averaging 26.5 PPG and 25.4 PPG respectively.
The Thunder proved that they can function well even without their top two stars in their last game, using their vaunted transition attack to thwart Los Angeles. The Thunder outscored the Lakers in transition, 25-18, outshooting L.A. by nearly 30 percentage points on such shots.
The Thunder are fourth in the NBA in fast break offense, averaging 16.1 points per game. They will need to push the pace even further against a Sixers side that is allowing 14.7 fast break points per game this season, sixth-worst in the NBA.
Oklahoma City is 9-1 in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Thunder crush the 76ers, 110-95.
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