Tip-Off: 9:30 PM CST
Location: Oracle Arena (Oakland, California)
Television: TNT, FSOK
Radio: The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @TheThunderGuys for live-tweets during the game
Opposing Player to Watch
SF Kevin Durant: Despite what Russell Westbrook says, this is not merely a “regular game.” The reunion matchup between Russ and KD should be an interesting one, and the media is doing everything it can be to hype this up to be a battle for the ages. Kevin Durant will undoubtedly want to play one of his best games against his old team, but Russell Westbrook and Co. will do everything they can to stop that.
Keys to the Game
- LIMIT TURNOVERS: Coming off their worst outing of the season in terms of giveaways with 22, Oklahoma now leads the league in turnovers. Although the Thunder managed to defeat the Clippers last night primarily due to solid defense, there is essentially no outcome where the Oklahoma City wins tonight if they turn the ball over 20+ times again.
- Grab All the Rebounds: The Thunder currently rank third in the league in rebounds per game with 51.8, while the Warriors pull down 43.0 rebounds a game. Oklahoma City has the clear advantage with the inside presence, and in order to be successful tonight, the Thunder has to manipulate the Warriors’ smaller size. Steven Adams and Enes Kanter could be major keys to putting together a victory tonight.
- Control Emotions: The media have done everything in their power to spin tonight’s game into something more than it really is.Westbrook has more passion than arguably anybody else in the league, but that can get him into trouble sometimes. Westbrook cannot let his emotions get in the way of what is important tonight: winning the game. The team will go as far as Russ can take them, so as long as he stays cool and performs well, the Thunder have a chance to win this game.
Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter.