NBA Betting Action: Thunder vs Blazers
by Dave D
Tuesday, February 9th, – 10:00 PM ET
Rose Garden, Portland
Basketball Betting Spread: Thunder -2
The Week That Was: Thunder
The Thunder kicked off the week winning their third game in a row, a 106-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Kevin Durant continued his amazing streak of basketball, scoring 33 and adding 11 rebounds. He was 14-of-14 from the free throw line. Durant extended his streak of 25+ point games to 22 games. The game itself began as a close one before OKC jumped out to a 13 point lead in the fourth. The Thunder committed a season-low seven turnovers.
The win-streak hit four the next night with a 103-99 win over New Orleans, Oklahoma City’s first victory in New Orleans in 11 tries. The team shot a season-high 57.5% from the floor. Russell Westbrook was the Thunder’s offensive star, scoring 26, adding 10 assists and eight boards. Durant kept his streak alive with 30 points.
The Thunder then traveled to Oakland and defeated the Warriors 104-95. Neither team played amazingly; neither shot over 43% from the field. The five-game win streak ties a season high for the Thunder. Westbrook was the star of the game, flirting with the very rare quadruple double (21 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and eight steals). His eight steals are an NBA high for an individual this season. Durant’s streak stayed alive with 29.
The Week That Was: Trail Blazers
Portland began their week against the red-hot Jazz, who crushed the Blazers 118-105 for their 7th win in a row. The Jazz shot an outstanding 62.7% from the field, including over 70% throughout the second half. Conversely, the Blazers managed to shoot only 42% from the field. Playing without Carlos Boozer, Utah still managed to outscore Portland in the paint, 62-38.
The Blazers rebounded with a big 96-93 win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs. Portland only scored 15 points in the third quarter and was down by as much as 10 in the fourth before mounting their big comeback. LaMarcus Aldridge led the charge, scoring 28 and adding 13 rebounds. The Blazers end up sweeping the season series against San Antonio for the first time since 1996-97.
The Blazers followed that big win up with an absolute stinker at home against the Lakers. Los Angeles was playing without Kobe Bryant and still managed to hammer Portland 99-82. LA dominated every aspect of the game. They outscored the Blazers 48-22 in the paint. They outscored them in second chance points 15-0. The worst numbers came from rebounding. Portland managed only two offensive rebounds, their lowest number in the franchise’s 40-year history.
Outlook & Pick
As long as Kevin Durant is on the floor the Thunder have a pretty good chance to win. His 24 straight games with 25+ points is the longest such streak since A.I. in 1999. The emergence of Westbrook as an offensive threat has given the Thunder a 1-2 punch that can match up with the best of the league. The Blazers, however, just aren’t the same team without Roy in the lineup. He’s not expected to be back until a few games after the All-Star break, although with Portland slowly falling down the standings his return can’t come any sooner. They’re 6-7 without their all-star forward. The Thunder are just too hot right now to pick against.
Basketball Betting Pick: Thunder -2
