Westbrook and Harden Duel in Epic Saturday Showdown
By Ryan Murphy in NBA Basketball
Published:
- The Thunder desperately need a win against the Rockets to secure a playoff berth
- Can Russell Westbrook outduel former teammate James Harden?
- Will Mike D’Antoni give his starters extended minutes?
The Thunder (45-34, 19-20 away) find themselves in the unenviable position of desperately needing to win a game in Houston this weekend. Oklahoma City is one of six teams separated by two games in the crowded West, and Russell Westbrook and co. badly need a victory to reduce their magic number and sneak into the playoffs.
The good news for OKC is they still control their own destiny. The bad news is the Toyota Center has been exceptionally inhospitable to visitors this season. The Rockets (64-15, 34-6 home) have won 85-percent of their home games and score 3.5 more points and grab two more rebounds per game on their own court.
Ryan Murphy 2017-18 Season Stats
- ATS record:Â 62-37 (62.6-percent)
- SU record:Â 365-145 (71.5-percent)
- O/U record:Â 45-37 (54.8-percent)Â
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets Team Stats
OFFENSE
| 107.3 | Offense Rating | 112.9 |
| 107.4 | Points | 113.2 |
| 45.1 | Rebounds | 43.5 |
| 21.2 | Assists | 21.8 |
| 45.2 | Field-Goal Percentage | 46.0 |
| 35.1 | Three-Point Percentage | 36.3 |
| 99.1 | Pace | 99.7 |
| 3.0 | Plus/Minus | -9.1 |
DEFENSE
| 104.7 | Defense Rating | 104.0 |
| 104.4 | Points | 104.1 |
| 42.2 | Rebounds | 41.8 |
| 7.7 | Steals | 7.2 |
| 4.6 | Blocks | 4.4 |
| 45.7 | Field-Goal Percentage | 46.3 |
| 36.7 | Three-Point Percentage | 35.3 |
| 43.3 | Points In Point | 48.1 |
Head-to-Head Results
| Date | Location | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 25 | Oklahoma City | 112-107 | Oklahoma City |
| Mar. 6 | Oklahoma City | 122-112 | Houston |
The Thunder and Rockets have been must-see TV during their first two games of the season. OKC won their Christmas Day dust-up behind 31 points and 11 assists from Russell Westbrook and 24 points and five boards from Paul George. The two players kept the pedal to the metal all game long and took full advantage of the fact Chris Paul was sidelined with a groin strain.
Houston got its revenge on March 6th thanks to a balanced scoring attack. Seven players scored in double figures and the Rockets connected on 17 of their 33 three-point attempts.
Notable Injuries and Absences
| Thunder | Rockets |
|---|---|
| None | Ryan Anderson (sprained ankle) |
Straight Up Advice: Rockets (114-110)
The Rockets received a wake-up call on Sunday when they lost by 17 points to the Spurs. The unexpected defeat jolted the team out of cruise control, and they’ve since responded by crushing the Wizards and pulling out a gusty win over the Trail Blazers.
Expect another locked-in performance again on Saturday as Houston continues to rev up for the playoffs and tries to demoralize OKC prior to a potential postseason match-up.
Team Trends
| Thunder | Rockets |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City is 19-20 SU on the road | Houston is 34-6 SU at home |
| Oklahoma City is 5-5 SU in its last ten games | Houston is 9-1 SU in its last ten games |
| Oklahoma City is 6-6 SU as an underdog | Houston is 62-11 SU as a favorite |
| Oklahoma City is 26-24 SU in conference games | Houston is 40-9 in conference games |
| Oklahoma City is 32-46-1 ATS this season (41.0-percent) | Houston is 41-37-1 ATS this season (52.6-percent) |
| Oklahoma City is 16-22 ATS on the road | Houston is 17-22-1 ATS at home |
Additional SU Picks (April 7)
Thunder vs Rockets is just one of six games taking place on Saturday night. Here are our other five straight up picks.
| Match Up | SU Pick |
|---|---|
| Nuggets vs Clippers | Nuggets |
| Bucks vs Knicks | Bucks |
| Nets vs Bulls | Bulls |
| Pelicans vs Warriors | Warriors |
| Trail Blazers vs Spurs | Spurs |
Former Sports Writer
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
