Oklahoma City Thunder

vs

Atlanta Hawks

Quarter by Quarter observations

First Quarter

 Westbrook is struggling early he has missed both shots and can't get into the lane. He also picked up two quick fouls and so only got pulled early in the first. Krstic missed both of his shots as well but played solid defense on Horford. Krstic already has 3 rebounds so he is well on the way to a good rebounding night. Fortunately Durant has warmed up to go 4-6 for 10 with 4 rebounds. Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, and Joe Johnson were the only Hawks to make more than one shot.

Score to end the Quarter 22-22 Tied

Oklahoma City Thunder

vs

Golden State Warriors

Preview

The story so far

The Warriors have spent much of the season shorthanded including the first match between these two teams. They are finally getting back to healthy although they will still probably be missing shooter Anthony Morrow and power forward Anthony Randolph. The Thunder got a much needed win over Denver at home on Friday. That win did a lot to wipe the bad taste of a four game losing streak out of Thunder fans mouths. The Thunder are back to a half game out of the 8^th seed despite that losing streak. The Thunder are currently 1-1 in their home stand with winnable games tonight and against Atlanta before heading back out on the road.

The Matchups

CJ Watson v Russell Westbrook

The Warriors shot well last time they were in OKC. Watson was 3-7 for 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. Westbrook did not have a good game he was 4-17 for 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and 4 turnovers. Westbrook played superb against Denver his 4:1 assist to turnover ratio was a big part of the win as was his defense against JR Smith and Chauncey Billups.

Edge

Oklahoma City Thunder

at

Phoenix Suns

Quarter by Quarter observations

First Quarter

 The Thunder came out with some different looks on offense to start the game. The Nuggets came out shooting well they are at 52% for the quarter. Nene is 3-3 and Krstic has struggled again to contain him, the Thunder will need to find a way to force him out of his comfort zone. Ibaka might be the answer there, I imagine Collison will make him work but probably lacks the height to really force Nene into some poor shots. The Thunder probably should have a bigger lead but they have had several shot clock violations and other unforced turnovers. The Thunder made a good adjustment late in the first quarter on JR Smith. You have to challenge on JR Smith or at least be ready to challenge at all times, he will take a shot from anywhere and make them unless you challenge. Harden was giving Smith a big cushion and Smith drilled 2 three pointers in a row. Harden then started playing much closer to Smith and forced him into his first miss.

Score to end the Quarter 27-26 Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder

vs

Denver Nuggets

Preview

The story so far

In the first matchup between these two teams the key was the additional 9 free throws the Nuggets took. The Thunder made 31-79 shots while the Nuggets made 32-80. The Thunder however only attempted 31 free throws making 26 while the Nuggets took 40 making 34. Since the last game the Nuggets have moved into the second seed in the West while the Thunder have slid slowly down the ranks and currently sit at 11. However the playoffs are still well in reach with 38 games left to play the Thunder are only 3 games out of 4^th in the West. A win over the Nuggets tonight would go along way to comforting a fan base that has seen quite a few heartbreakers in the past month. After going 2-2 on the road with two losses by 1 point the Thunder laid an egg at home losing to the Bulls in a game that seemed to lack any sense of urgentcy on the part of the Thunder.

The Matchups

Chauncey Billups v Russell Westbrook

Mister Big shot was held to 1-6 shooting in the first matchup the Thunder sure could use a repeat performance if they want to break that streak. This time the Thunder need to make sure they don't foul him, Billups went 9-9 from the free throw line. Westbrook had a pretty typical night 5-15, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 turnovers. Westbrook had been doing a better job of taking care of the ball prior to this stretch however his turnover problems have resurfaced reminding people that he is still a work in progress.

Edge

Oklahoma City Thunder

at

Chicago Bulls

Well this sucks. The Thunder played an up and down game that saw them fall behind then rally to catch back up several times. In the end they fell short. It was kinda funny because before the game Brian Davis had said he talked to coach Brooks who said they needed to stop falling behind to start games. The Thunder fell behind by 8 early in the first before they started the first of many rallies to finish the quarter up by two.

Oklahoma City Thunder

vs

Chicago Bulls

Preview

The story so far

Chicago had just gotten back on track when the Thunder rolled into town on the 4^th. Now Chicago again has a 3 game winning streak going against so stiff competition. Wins over Phoenix, Houston, and San Antonio all have come on the road headed into the matchup tonight. The Thunder have dropped like a rock all the way down to 11^th in the west after losing two straight to Memphis and Cleveland. This is the first home game after 4 straight on the road, where they went 2-2. Their next 3 are all at home against Denver, Golden State, and Atlanta.

The Matchups

Derrick Rose v Russell Westbrook

Westbrook did a good job defensively against Rose last game. Rose was 9-20 for 19 points, 7 assists, and 2 turnovers. Westbrook carried a big part of the offense going for 29 points on 13-24, 6 assists, but also had 4 turnovers. This was right after the crushing loss to the Bucks where it was all Durant and nobody else really stepped up and took on some of the scoring burden. It helped Westbrook that Brooks went with a smaller 3 guard lineup for much of the fourth quarter against the Bulls. With Harden and Maynor out there to take some of the point guard duties Westbrook found it easier to attack the glass and score.

Edge