Winners in six of its last eight games, the Thunder have worked a way into the Top 10 of the Western Conference standings. Tied with the Lakers at a 34-36 record, OKC currently sits in the final spot for the NBA’s Play In Tournament. However, even by sitting idle, Friday’s slate of games can improve or damage Oklahoma City’s standing.
Western Conference
Golden State at Atlanta (6:30) – The Warriors are only two games ahead of Oklahoma City (Currently at #6) and a loss to the Hawks could open the door for for the Thunder to move up.
New Orleans at Houston (7:00) – The Pelicans are just 3-7 over the last ten games and have dropped all the way down to the #12 spot. They’re on the outside looking in right now but a win against the Rockets would pull them to an even record with Oklahoma City and remove any room for error that the Thunder have.
Boston at Portland (9:00) – Sitting at 31-38 on the season, the Trail Blazers are getting dangerously close to being eliminated from playoff contention.
Dallas at Los Angeles Lakers (9:30) – There isn’t a game this evening that will have greater implications on OKC’s standing than this one. The Thunder and Lakers are pretty much deadlocked and Dallas is just a game ahead of them. A loss by the Lakers would immediately bump Oklahoma City up a spot but a Dallas loss would also be beneficial as it puts the Mavs closer to Thunder as well.
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