Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers – NBA Preview
The Thunder are on their way to wrap up their first division title after moving to Oklahoma City (OKC), as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Oklahoma City Thunder are leading the season series 2-1. On the
night though, OKC have to be at their best to beat the Clippers, who not only knocked them down four nights ago, but have also gunned down many other elites of the leagues in the recent past.
Blake Griffin was incredibly instrumental in the Clippers’ last 98-92 victory over the Thunder. The prolific rookie erupted with a game-high 26 points and gathered 16 rebounds to spearhead the upset, which witnessed the Clippers
bouncing back startlingly in the second half of the game to thrash Oklahoma City out of the game.
After Saturday’s victory, Ben Gordon said about Griffin. "He really was after it. I mean, you know it when he's really active and animated when he gets a defensive rebound and goes all the way down the court and tries to score
a basket."
In the upcoming meeting at Staples Center, Griffin will definitely make life difficult for OKC, who have to sort out a way to tackle him. They have an extra motivation attached with the game as they stand at the cusp of clinching
the Northwest division title.
At present, the Los Angeles Clippers are standing at the 13th spot in the Western Conference with 31 victories and 47 defeats. The team has however shown great commitment in the recent games against some of the best
team of the league. The Clips also carry a good home record with 22 wins and the Thunder will have to tackle a roaring crowd as well.
Memphis Grizzlies were the last team, the Clippers toppled and their guard Tony Allen said about the Clippers. “They’re coming out here and playing with pride.”
But the fact remains that the Oklahoma City Thunder are a force to reckon with on every given night, either home or away. They hold the fourth spot in the Western Conference with a 51-26 record. To add to that, they will enter
the game two nights after defeating the Denver Nuggets, the team they will possibly face in the playoffs and will be rearing to build some momentum heading into the post-season.
The All-star Kevin Durant led the team with his magnificent 32 points in that game as the Oklahoma City crushed the streaking Nuggets by 101-94. In the last 10 games, the Thunder have managed to win 7 games. Wednesday night will
depict an exciting showdown between Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin. Both the players have the tendency to lead their team with example and the will carry the heat once again for their respective teams.
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