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Nuggets vs. Thunder: Pregame Primer

vs.

Denver Nuggets (48-30, 17-22 road) vs. OKC Thunder (52-26, 29-10 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 – 110.9 (7th), Nuggets– 111.9 (1st)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 107.1 (15th), Nuggets – 107.1 (16th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.7 (13th), Nuggets – 95.6 (2nd)

View from the enemy: Roundball Mining Company

Crazy how much has changed. No longer is this game important in terms of the Northwest Division. Now OKC is chasing Dallas for third and the Nuggets, according to George Karl, might rather lose this game to help out.

But more than likely this is you first-round matchup still so there’s a lot to prove here. Plus, it’s a home game and you don’t want to lose at home. Especially when it could be a huge confidence booster against your future playoff opponent.

Denver coming in: The Nuggets are coming off a big win in Dallas.

THE MATCHUPS
Nothing has really changed from Tuesday, so here, let me just neatly copy and paste that over here for you.

A lot of interesting head-to-head matchups in this one. Nene versus Kendrick Perkins. Kenyon Martin versus Serge Ibaka. Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari versus Kevin Durant. Russell Westbrook versus Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton.

Arron Afflalo is questionable and not having him obviously hurts the Nuggets, but George Karl has really settled in to playing Felton and Lawson together, which makes Denver tough to match up with. In a game like this, I honestly don’t see that much that Thabo adds if Afflalo is out because defensively, he’s not set up to make that big of an impact. James Harden probably matches up better with both Felton and J.R. Smith, who comes off the bench. (If Afflalo is out, Chandler starts at shooting guard.)

I will add this though: We saw the importance of Perk taking away Nene and that definitely has to happen again. That is probably the most important thing the Thunder can do defensively. If Perk handles Nene one-on-one, other Thunder defenders can stay home and defender the perimeter, which is where Denver wants to score.

Tip at 7:00 CT. Go Division Champs.

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@PNT
Oops, thanks

@Daniel Plainview
4 teams
Chicago 35-5
San Antonio 35-5
Boston 32-8
Denver 31-8
OKC 30-10

There are only 3 teams in the league that have a better home record than us

Went to the game tonight with my wife. Her streak is now 6-0. The crowd was really flat for awhile, but it got electric in the 4th, especially when KD hit the "and-1." Probably the loudest I've ever heard the crowd. Until tonight, the loudest, and best game I've been to (took the spouse to that one too) was the Orlando game. You got to love KD. He's having an off-night, you think he's playing just okay, and then he gets 16 pts in the 3d and takes over in the 4th (well that RW steals) when the team needed one last push.

The dream for the 2 seed is still alive.

Daniel Plainview :
Cole 17 pts, 18 rebs, 4 blocks

nice to see him stepping his game up in the playoffs. I wish Latavious Williams was healthy.

justin :@Daniel
Plainview
They need Lou Williams back.

So true

Cole 17 pts, 18 rebs, 4 blocks

@Daniel Plainview

They need Lou Williams back.

Philly is a dark horse in the east. Their bench is wicked

Pau Gasol's gotten beaten at least four times tonight on lobs to LMA.

I think it can finally be set in stone, the Thunder are really good.

Lakers may be on the rebound when we see them after this loss! We aint scared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our bench has several starters! Crazy Love the toughness we bring now

OKC Bench.. +74 combined.. OKC Starters.. Even 0 combined.. hmm

error72 :
Did Ibaka not play much due to that thumb/hand injury early in the game?

He wasn't playing well.

Thomas :

kfmsooner :@JDS

I still think if we had given DJ a chance, he could have been a rotation player for us.

I agree. You could tell there was something there if he could get regular minutes.

Although, to be fair, I thought it was a great trade for Nazr!

In the race for GM of the Year, my vote goes to Danny Ainge of the Oklahoma City Thunder . . . oh wait, well, it still goes to Danny Ainge for what he did for the OKC Thunder.

kfmsooner :@JDS

I still think if we had given DJ a chance, he could have been a rotation player for us.

I agree. You could tell there was something there if he could get regular minutes.

kfmsooner :
Everyone needs to flip to NBA TV and see Cheryl Miller’s ridiculous outfit. I think Craig Sager dressed her…OMG…

Haha,funny, and perhaps horrific.

"I didnt know Cheryl miller had a brother."

@kfmsooner
Id take him over Cole or Mullins all day.

It might seem pretty far-fetched, but has anyone discussed the possibility of LA falling down to 4th? Regardless if we were the 2 or the 3 we'd end up with the Mavs or whoever beats them in the 2nd round, which would be significantly better than the Spurs or Lakers in my opinion. And with the Sunday game against the Lakers it isn't that unlikely of a scenario. Thoughts?

Dallas putting LA away...

Did Ibaka not play much due to that thumb/hand injury early in the game?

Everyone needs to flip to NBA TV and see Cheryl Miller's ridiculous outfit. I think Craig Sager dressed her...OMG...

@JDS
I still think if we had given DJ a chance, he could have been a rotation player for us.

JDS :

kfmsooner :Krstic 17 pts, 6 rbds tonight…JG 3 pts, rbds…ouch

DJ 13 pts 8 rbds

+1 for DJ.. good to see him getting some burn!

kfmsooner :Krstic 17 pts, 6 rbds tonight…JG 3 pts, rbds…ouch

DJ 13 pts 8 rbds

@kfmsooner
I think the league is starting to realize that Uncle Jeff isn't quite as good as he was hyped up to be. I'm just glad we got Perkins for him before it came to everybody's attention. Now if only we could flip the lock-down defender Thabo for a dangerous back-up SF...

Russ with 8 dimes and only two (2!) turnovers, it was nice not seeing "hero mode"

This was Ibaka's worst game in awhile.

@kfmsooner
Celtics need a center,but they dont need a SF.
Now Green lives in the shadow of Big Baby

C_Dub :

CenOK :

kfmsooner :
LAC back to within 2…
Great game for the home boys. Defense was special. Why can’t we win the title this year? Let’s go ahead and do it…

Although I don’t like Chris Broussard, he made a good point on the Scott Van Pelt show today: While we definitely appear like a team who has everything needed to go all the way, it’s just hard to imagine that such a young team, which has never even won a playoff series, would be able to go all the way. That being said I definitely think it’s possible, I just understand the hesitation.

The current Bulls team hasn’t won a playoff series yet either, and look at them. These teams will meet in the Finals very soon.

Broussard followed it up by saying the exact same thing about the Bulls. Which was surprising considering most national analysts have already anointed them champs of the eastern conference. I definitely think we have the potential to do it this year, but I think next year will be the first legitimately expected run.

Krstic 17 pts, 6 rbds tonight...JG 3 pts, rbds...ouch

CenOK :

kfmsooner :
LAC back to within 2…
Great game for the home boys. Defense was special. Why can’t we win the title this year? Let’s go ahead and do it…

Although I don’t like Chris Broussard, he made a good point on the Scott Van Pelt show today: While we definitely appear like a team who has everything needed to go all the way, it’s just hard to imagine that such a young team, which has never even won a playoff series, would be able to go all the way. That being said I definitely think it’s possible, I just understand the hesitation.

The current Bulls team hasn't won a playoff series yet either, and look at them. These teams will meet in the Finals very soon.

one of our first overall solid games in a long time.. never really folded up and held Denver at arms length after the first quarter.. really excited for the team

Didn't I say something fishy was going on if OKC won by 15? Well Denver definitely didn't tank this one, this was a game the Thunder simply wanted more. And it showed when it mattered.

Who saw this after the way the game started? Nice win.

Good Job Thabo! Haters gone hate

kfmsooner :
LAC back to within 2…
Great game for the home boys. Defense was special. Why can’t we win the title this year? Let’s go ahead and do it…

Although I don't like Chris Broussard, he made a good point on the Scott Van Pelt show today: While we definitely appear like a team who has everything needed to go all the way, it's just hard to imagine that such a young team, which has never even won a playoff series, would be able to go all the way. That being said I definitely think it's possible, I just understand the hesitation.

CenOK :
It really frustrates me the way Brooks treats Harden as if he’s just a second rate player on this team. I can’t understand why we bring every one of the rotation players out, yet for some reason leave Harden in there as if his game isn’t respected.

really not worth even considering

nate with 2 assists in a minute and a half.. i like it

Nazr, Who said we dont have scoring bigs:)

13-3 thats insane..

Especially when we play in probably the best Division in the league...

3 playoff teams...

Maybe southwest is better but is declining pretty quickly..

It really frustrates me the way Brooks treats Harden as if he's just a second rate player on this team. I can't understand why we bring every one of the rotation players out, yet for some reason leave Harden in there as if his game isn't respected.

Nate just ran a better Pnr than Russ ever did