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Nets vs. Thunder: Pregame Primer

vs.

New Jersey Nets (9-22, 3-13 road) vs. OKC Thunder (21-11, 11-6 home)

TV: FSOK (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 109.5 (8th), Nets – 101.8 (26th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 107.6 (18th), Nets – 107.3 (17th)
Pace: Thunder – 93.0 (14th), Nets – 89.6 (20th)

View from the enemy: Nets Are Scorching

I feel like I talk about the opportunity for bounce-back all the time. But that’s because the Thunder’s pretty good at it. This season after a loss, the Thunder’s 9-1. That’s seriously good.

And remember the last game against the Nets? Triple overtime, Anthony Morrow, Russell Westbrook, no Kevin Durant… ring any bells? It was quite the win for the Thunder against a fairly bad team. But OKC came out on top in a close game because it’s what it does.

New Jersey coming in: The Nets have split their last four and last played on Monday at home against Orlando.

THE MATCHUPS
In the first meeting both Kevin Durant and Devin Harris were out. This time, they’re playing it. I don’t know how much that actually changes things in terms of talent separation, but both teams will be pretty much at full tilt.

Harris is quick and a good pick-and-roll point guard. Russell Westbrook didn’t guard Jordan Farmar all that great the first meeting and defending Harris is a big key. Anthony Morrow is the Nets sharpshooter and if he gets rolling from outside, they become a much better offensive team. (Except he’s still out with a hamstring injury and I missed that somehow.)

Quinton Ross will start out guarding Durant with Travis Outlaw and Stephen Graham also mixing in. No matter who it is really, OKC has a big advantage.

The key battles will come inside where since returning, Nenad Krstic has been pretty good. Brook Lopez shot a ton in the last game and did most his damage from the free throw line so keeping him out of the paint and hoisting jumpers is a key. Kris Humphries is a worker on the glass and can make a difference rebounding.

No reason not to get on the good side at home tonight. A bad team, a stinging loss and a home game. It all adds up to what should be a cruising win.

Tip at 7:00 CT. Go Up Thunder.

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Who wants to bet horford has a career night friday

I think it is the first game Lopez's FG% over 50% when he played against Nenad

@Ozark

Ozark :
As good as Nenad seemed tonight, just 10 pts and 2 rebs, 1 ast, no blocks, 2 fouls

And he was out rebounded by Mullens despite playing more than four times as many minutes

Ozark :
As good as Nenad seemed tonight, just 10 pts and 2 rebs, 1 ast, no blocks, 2 fouls

Mullens out rebounded Nenad in 5 minutes of playing time.

As good as Nenad seemed tonight, just 10 pts and 2 rebs, 1 ast, no blocks, 2 fouls

@AC
lol, no matter how you take what i meant, mrs DT is better looking than brian davis.

Mullens didn't look too promising tonight. Cole needs his time on the court now.

Harden had another good game. James is getting a little lippy when he he get pushed around. Remember him telling Barea, "You better not do that again" on Monday night.

Krstic the player of the game? I don't think he play very well. Lopez was scoring over him fairly easily.

@Mrs. Daily Thunder
lol no i did, the mental imagery of brian davis mowing his own lawn just isnt as appealing

@justin
I think there's still at least some hope for Pleiss. He seems more willing to just use his height and length to focus on defense and boards. That's pretty much all he's used for by Brose right now, anyway.

White definitely not a 3rd 4th stringer

Ozark :
Anyone notice that Nenad only uses the spray-can hair on nationally televised games? Looked so nice on xmas.

My wife wondered why the hell his hair looked orange that game. Just lookin sharp for all the national pundits.

D.J. White is obviously 2nd string not 3rd string.

Anyone notice that Nenad only uses the spray-can hair on nationally televised games? Looked so nice on xmas.

they're going to let the Nets back in this!

Chas :
Aldrich would have slammed that home.

He also would have at least fouled Favors on that break.

Aldrich would have slammed that home.

Thabo logging a cool 4 points tonight. Really came easy to him, just feeling the flow of the game well.

@f5alcon

Did you not hear Brian Davis say that? Ahhh!

Tony Brothers is officiating this game? Did he get a boob job and start wearing makeup?

OK, I'm using my DVR to audit Brian Davis tonight. He said Krstic "at the nail" when he was actually at the top of the key. He always says at the nail or elbow, regardless of position on the court.

:?

Green keeping the unofficial streak alive for playing more minutes than Durant.

Humphries kinda reminds me of John C. Reilly.

:?

Mrs. Daily Thunder :
Mow your own lawn?

that could be taken the wrong way

justin :
Everyone watching Johan Petro, Sonics fans thought the same about him as some here do about Mullens / Pleiss / etc.

Haha! Whenever I first saw him in the 2nd game for the Thunder, I was shouting, "give that man some minutes!". He shows natural talent but is kind of a dumbo, huh.

Harden should have helicoptered that

@justin
He was the 25th pick,the lowest in Swift/Sene/Petro.But only he is still in NBA

love the lineup on the court

Everyone watching Johan Petro, Sonics fans thought the same about him as some here do about Mullens / Pleiss / etc.

Does Krstic look good or is it just the Nets

Maynor with the first block of the night

That's it. How come Serge doesn't finish like that all the time?!

Mow your own lawn?

Just an FYI - Bill Simmons is at the game. Royce said on twitter that he is sitting in section 105. Can't wait to read his write up.

As well as Thabo is playing how many points do we give up by not having a shooter in the backcourt with this group?

Yeah that was funny, but not as funny as D Harris thinking he could block Durant's dunk from behind!

Nice move by Thabo. Open 3, wait for the defender and get blocked.

for god's sakes can we see Harden in for Thabo?

Other Thomas :
Free James Harden!

Free Cole Aldrich!

KD almost knocked Krstic out with his ass on that dunk.

Nenad's flipped the beast mode switch

Nice passes from Green! Woot woot

I dont know who is a better SG,Lopez or Bargnani?Both of them have low FG% and low Rebs.

@justin
"After this game I’d like to see a Westbrook-Harris foot race."

devin is really quick however... russell is very quick... that score took less than 5 seconds...

lilrip133 :@Chas

i beg to differ. jeff green’s head fake from 3 is his “signature” move that never works.
and wow. westbrook. that’s become almost a set play this season it happens so often; a very very impressive set play.

Yeah, but this time he would have had a good look at the rim if Thabo had got him the ball. Much different from his usual head-fake-then-long-2

But what an end to that half! WWWWWwwoooooooooooooooooohhooooooooooooo! What an end to end dunk!