Oklahoma City at Dallas
Time: 7:30 PM CT (ESPN)
Spread: DAL -1
Total: 206.5
Betting odds c/o 5dimes
The Oklahoma City Thunder have lost two-straight and travel to Dallas to Face the Mavericks at 7:30 PM (Central) on ESPN. OKC is 1-point underdogs to Dallas, who has posted a 17-14 record at home this season and gone 15-23 against fellow Western Conference teams. The over/under is set at 206.5 points, according to NBA oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes.
Dallas is coming off a 104-100 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Zach Randolph scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while shooting 11 of 14 in 29 minutes off the bench. Mike Conley led all scorers with 30 points on 9 of 15 shooting. The Grizzlies shot 46.3 percent from the floor as a team and committed just 10 turnovers, but Dallas held a +6 advantage on the boards and shot 47.6 percent in its own right while all starters scored in double figures.
Seth Curry led the way with 24 points on 8 of 15 shooting, also contributing two assists and five rebounds in 37 minutes. Curry has looked more like his MVP brother in recent times, and over his past 10 games the Duke product is averaging 17.3 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
Over his last five, Curry has been even better, averaging 23.6 points, 3.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent from three-point range on 6.6 attempts per game. The Mavericks seem to be finally transitioning away from its aged backcourt towards Curry and rookie Yogi Ferrell. The departure of Deron Williams all but solidifies that, as Dallas looks to its youngsters for leadership and scoring that Williams was only inconsistently providing.
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Ferrell is averaging 12.5 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds while posting a 14.8 PER as a rookie. Between he and Curry, the Mavericks also added a youngster to its frontcourt in 2013 lottery pick Nerlens Noel. Noel has played four games for Dallas thus far, averaging nine points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.25 blocks/steals in 26.5 minutes a night. He had his best game last outing with 15 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks in 35 minutes against Memphis.
Noel was a heist for a team looking to go younger, and now it adds Noel to a frontcourt which already features big free agent signee Harrison Barnes. Barnes has blossomed into a legitimate No. 1 option in Dallas, after serving more of a No. 5 option role within the Golden State Warriors system the opening chapter of his NBA career. Between Barnes, Noel, Ferrell and Curry, the Mavs have the young guns coming together to lead the team as it transitions out of the Dirk Nowitzki era finally.
The Thunder dropped its past to outings to the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns. OKC will try to get back on track with star guard Russell Westbrook still having to do entirely too much. The MVP Candidate is averaging 31.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.1 assists in 34.8 minutes a game, while making a strong case in a two-man race for the league’s MVP award with Houston’s James Harden.
The Thunder need Victor Oladipo healthy and contributing offensively, because without his services Westbrook is only having to press harder. Oladipo is still listed as out for this game with a back problem, according to Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman. He has missed the last five games, and OKC has gone 3-2 over that period.
Oladipo is the second-leading scorer at 16 points per game, but his game is still heavily reliant on a mid-range jumper and he is inconsistent. In order for the Thunder to take the next step, it needs consistent play from Oladipo and from Sixth Man Enes Kanter. Kanter is back from a self-imposed injury (he broke his hand in a frustration punch), and his scoring is absolutely vital with a somewhat offensively-limited starting center in Steven Adams.
The Thunder also made a key addition in adding Taj Gibson, who will bring some toughness and grit to a frontcourt that was a bit soft with rookie Domantas Sabonis at the 4-spot. Doug McDermott’s shooting also joins the fold, and he has been receiving big minutes since joining the Thunder. OKC added some much needed frontcourt depth, and it cost only little-used guard Cameron Payne and journeyman Joffrey Lauvergne. It should make a different adding Gibson’s experience and basketball IQ when the Thunder enter the postseason.
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