Spurs vs Thunder NBA Handicapping
The Thunder keep moving the chains.
2008-09 – Last place
2009-10 – Western Conference quarterfinals
2010-11 – Conference finals
2111-12 – NBA Finals
San Antonio Spurs (19-6) at Oklahoma City Thunder (19-4)
Monday, Dec. 17
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City
8 p.m. EST
Spread: Thunder -4.5
O/U: Spurs 207
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Whether Oklahoma City can take that Final step this season is uncertain, but right now the Thunder have the look and feel of a team that is intimidated by no one (hear that in South Florida?).
They own the best record in the league, they’re on a pace to go 68-14 this season, and while it’s still relatively early, it appears that they are one of only a handful of teams with a legit chance to be the last team to win a game in June.
Tonight in OKC the Thunder can put an exclamation point on their early-season success when they face one of the other two teams capable of winning it all.
The Spurs come in at 19-6, and their solid beatdown of the Celtics on Saturday night helped take some of the sting away after back-to-lock losses at Utah and Portland last week.
The Thunder have 10 consecutive victories, a stretch that began after a loss to Boston on Nov. 23. But in private coach Scott Brooks would concede that the streak has been wind-aided – the 10 wins don’t include any over any opponent of significance (no, the Lakers don’t count yet).
We all know what Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook bring to the table, but Kevin Martin – who came on board from Houston in the James Harden trade – has given the Thunder another offensive option at 16 ppg.
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Kendrick Perkins hasn’t really developed into the defensive monster the Thunder envisioned when they got him a few years back, but props to you if you know that Serge Ibaka leads the league with three blocks a game.
OKC is the top team in the league offensively, which is hardly a surprise with a scoring PG (Russell Westbrook) and one of the top scorers in the league (Kevin Durant).
But the Thunder aren’t half-bad (11th in the league) defensively, and if they continue to be in the upper tier in the latter category, they certainly will end the season with 65 to 70 regular-season wins.
The Spurs, meanwhile, may have to go tonight without Manu Ginobili, who suffered a bruised quad when he was involved in a collision in the game against the Celtics.
It would not be the end of the world for San Antonio, which employs the NFL:’s Next-Man-Up mantra and nearly knocked off the Heat a few weeks ago after sending Tim Duncan and Tony Parker home to rest.
Trends:
San Antonio:
•SA are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 road games.
• SA are 56-24-5 ATS in their last 85 games overall.
• SA are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 Mon. games.
Oklahoma City:
•OKC are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games overall.
• Over is 7-3 in OKC last 10 home games.
• Over is 7-3 in OKC last 10 vs. Western Conference.
Head to Head:
•Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.
THE PICK: If any team can withstand the Thunder’s frenetic pace, especially at OKC, it’s the Spurs. But that might be a little bit too much to ask for tonight. Both teams are solid ATS – Thunder 14-8-1, Spurs 16-8-1.
Thunder to cover this one.
Spurs games have been trending under, Thunder games over.
