Thunder at Spurs
THE STORY: If the Oklahoma City Thunder plan to make their first NBA Finals appearance since relocating from Seattle, they may have to first go through the San Antonio Spurs. The teams will lock horns Saturday night in what could be a late-round Western Conference playoff preview. The league-leading Thunder have rolled over most of their opponents, and already have a 12-point victory over the Spurs on their ledger. But they have yet to play in San Antonio, where the Spurs are 12-1 and have looked mostly dominant so far this season. Both teams come in with momentum; the Thunder slipped past Memphis 101-94 Friday night for their sixth win in seven games, while the Spurs put a three-game winning streak on the line. Despite owning the best home record in the NBA, Spurs star Tim Duncan knows what his team is up against Saturday night. “They’re the best team in the league right now, playing the best basketball in the league right now,” he said. “They’re very comfortable with each other and very talented. We’re going to have a lot on our hands.”
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Oklahoma, KENS
ABOUT THE THUNDER (18-4): For the most part, Russell Westbrook is putting together a season that looks an awful lot like his 2010-11 campaign. The 23-year-old point guard is averaging 21.8 points and 4.6 rebounds; he posted totals of 21.9 points and 4.6 boards last year. One area he has struggled in: his passing. Westbrook is averaging just 5.7 assists and 4.1 turnovers this season compared to 8.2 dimes and 3.9 turnovers last campaign.
ABOUT THE SPURS (15-9): San Antonio is still working out the kinks on defense, but the results are beginning to show. The Spurs have held five of their last six opponents below 92 points, something Duncan sees as a source of encouragement. “We’re starting to understand and starting to get on the same page," he said. "There’s not a lot of practice, so there’s not a lot of situations where we can go in there and work on one thing and get it under out belts."
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Oklahoma City has lost its last three visits to San Antonio.
2. Kevin Durant, the Thunder's leading scorer, was a standout with the University of Texas before joining the NBA after his freshman season.
3. Westbrook averages just 14.5 points on 35-percent shooting in 12 career games against the Spurs.