Kevin Durant, Thunder host battered Nuggets
Oklahoma City has been the most pleast surprise of the season that is rapidly winding down. The Thunder roll into an all-important home date with the Nuggets tonight with a 48-29 record on the floor and 46-31 mark at the window this season. Kevin Durant has a shot at the NBA's scoring title, and OKC still has a shot at the Northwest Division title plus the second seed in the West. Tip from the Ford Center is set for 8.
Have you cashed in on the Oklahoma City Thunder yet this season? Supplies are limited; there are only five games left before the playoffs, and the Thunder won’t be so profitable next year once people start paying attention.
It’s remarkable how Oklahoma City keeps beating up on higher-profile clubs and yet remains anonymous, tucked into seventh place in the Western Conference and third place in the Northwest Division at 48-29 (46-31 ATS). The Thunder went on the road this past week and upset both the Boston Celtics (-3) and the Dallas Mavericks (-3) before extending the Utah Jazz (-6½) to overtime in a 140-139 loss.
That leaves Oklahoma City at 6-2 SU and ATS in its last eight games. Does this well ever run dry?
Having to play that extra frame might take some of the jolt out of the Thunder as it returns home to face the Denver Nuggets (50-27 SU, 32-39-6 ATS) Wednesday night at the Ford Center. Oklahoma City will be playing its fourth game in five days with an 8-8 ATS record on zero days of rest. The Nuggets have been idle since beating the Los Angeles Clippers (+13½) 98-90 on Saturday; they’re 5-0-1 ATS after three days off or more.
Denver will take any advantage it can at this point. It’s been hard enough to beat the betting odds with public expectations so high, but the Nuggets are down three forwards and two coaches heading into this contest. Kenyon Martin (tendinitis) has missed a month of practice and now has to fight off a flu bug. Chris Andersen (ankle) and Malik Allen (groin) are day-to-day and could see action against the Thunder.
The situation on the bench is definitely more important from a human standpoint, but perhaps from a betting one, as well. George Karl is about to complete six weeks of chemotherapy for neck and throat cancer. In Karl’s absence, the Nuggets are 8-6 (3-9-2 ATS) under Adrian Dantley, who had to miss Tuesday’s practice with a kidney stone. The team would only say that Dantley would coach against the Thunder “health permitting.”
Martin’s injury history is a long one, and he never did live up to the hype of getting selected first overall (by the New Jersey Nets) in the 2000 NBA Draft. But Martin does provide 13.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per 40 minutes, and he can still play defense. The Nuggets need something from Andersen (10.6 points, 11.4 rebounds/40) on Wednesday if they’re going to have much success against Oklahoma City.
If the Thunder have a soft underbelly, it’s starting center Nenad Krstic (14.7 points, 8.9 rebounds/40). He’s a fairly one-dimensional offensive player on a team striving for defense, and he’s still trying to regain his form after tearing up his left knee three years ago. But Oklahoma City has other options.
Nick Collison (11.2 points, 9.8 rebounds/40) has done his typical yeoman service coming off the bench, although at 6-foot-10 he’s a bit undersized at the 5-spot, and rookie Serge Ibaka (13.4 points, 11.9 rebounds/40) is developing very nicely after spending a couple of years in Spain.
There isn’t much else to find fault with in the OKC. The roster is healthy, and nothing is slowing down Kevin Durant (30.3 points, 7.6 rebonuds/40), who dropped 37 points on the Celtics and another 45 on the Nets. Durant has hit 197 of his last 211 free throws, or 93.4 percent, and he’s even getting the benefit of the doubt from referees – if you believe Boston’s Kevin Garnett.
“I thought we were playing Michael [expletive] Jordan tonight the way he was getting the whistle,” Garnett told reporters after losing to the Thunder. Not a bad comparison.
Oklahoma City was 7-0 ATS versus Denver before losing 119-90 last month at the Pepsi Center, dropping the cash as a seven-point puppy. Wednesday’s betting odds have the Thunder favored by two points with a total of 210. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. Eastern on local television.
Oklahoma City has been the most pleast surprise of the season that is rapidly winding down. The Thunder roll into an all-important home date with the Nuggets tonight with a 48-29 record on the floor and 46-31 mark at the window this season. Kevin Durant has a shot at the NBA's scoring title, and OKC still has a shot at the Northwest Division title plus the second seed in the West. Tip from the Ford Center is set for 8.
Have you cashed in on the Oklahoma City Thunder yet this season? Supplies are limited; there are only five games left before the playoffs, and the Thunder won’t be so profitable next year once people start paying attention.
It’s remarkable how Oklahoma City keeps beating up on higher-profile clubs and yet remains anonymous, tucked into seventh place in the Western Conference and third place in the Northwest Division at 48-29 (46-31 ATS). The Thunder went on the road this past week and upset both the Boston Celtics (-3) and the Dallas Mavericks (-3) before extending the Utah Jazz (-6½) to overtime in a 140-139 loss.
That leaves Oklahoma City at 6-2 SU and ATS in its last eight games. Does this well ever run dry?
Having to play that extra frame might take some of the jolt out of the Thunder as it returns home to face the Denver Nuggets (50-27 SU, 32-39-6 ATS) Wednesday night at the Ford Center. Oklahoma City will be playing its fourth game in five days with an 8-8 ATS record on zero days of rest. The Nuggets have been idle since beating the Los Angeles Clippers (+13½) 98-90 on Saturday; they’re 5-0-1 ATS after three days off or more.
Denver will take any advantage it can at this point. It’s been hard enough to beat the betting odds with public expectations so high, but the Nuggets are down three forwards and two coaches heading into this contest. Kenyon Martin (tendinitis) has missed a month of practice and now has to fight off a flu bug. Chris Andersen (ankle) and Malik Allen (groin) are day-to-day and could see action against the Thunder.
The situation on the bench is definitely more important from a human standpoint, but perhaps from a betting one, as well. George Karl is about to complete six weeks of chemotherapy for neck and throat cancer. In Karl’s absence, the Nuggets are 8-6 (3-9-2 ATS) under Adrian Dantley, who had to miss Tuesday’s practice with a kidney stone. The team would only say that Dantley would coach against the Thunder “health permitting.”
Martin’s injury history is a long one, and he never did live up to the hype of getting selected first overall (by the New Jersey Nets) in the 2000 NBA Draft. But Martin does provide 13.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per 40 minutes, and he can still play defense. The Nuggets need something from Andersen (10.6 points, 11.4 rebounds/40) on Wednesday if they’re going to have much success against Oklahoma City.
If the Thunder have a soft underbelly, it’s starting center Nenad Krstic (14.7 points, 8.9 rebounds/40). He’s a fairly one-dimensional offensive player on a team striving for defense, and he’s still trying to regain his form after tearing up his left knee three years ago. But Oklahoma City has other options.
Nick Collison (11.2 points, 9.8 rebounds/40) has done his typical yeoman service coming off the bench, although at 6-foot-10 he’s a bit undersized at the 5-spot, and rookie Serge Ibaka (13.4 points, 11.9 rebounds/40) is developing very nicely after spending a couple of years in Spain.
There isn’t much else to find fault with in the OKC. The roster is healthy, and nothing is slowing down Kevin Durant (30.3 points, 7.6 rebonuds/40), who dropped 37 points on the Celtics and another 45 on the Nets. Durant has hit 197 of his last 211 free throws, or 93.4 percent, and he’s even getting the benefit of the doubt from referees – if you believe Boston’s Kevin Garnett.
“I thought we were playing Michael [expletive] Jordan tonight the way he was getting the whistle,” Garnett told reporters after losing to the Thunder. Not a bad comparison.
Oklahoma City was 7-0 ATS versus Denver before losing 119-90 last month at the Pepsi Center, dropping the cash as a seven-point puppy. Wednesday’s betting odds have the Thunder favored by two points with a total of 210. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. Eastern on local television.
