Because of injuries early in the season the Oklahoma City Thunder are on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Can the Thunder make it to the playoffs?
On Monday night the Los Angeles Clippers played against the Dallas Mavericks and defeated them 115-98. The best player on the court was DeAndre Jordan as he finished with 22 points, 27 rebounds, one steal and three blocked shots. Even though Jordan arguably had the best game of his career if the Clippers are relying on DeAndre Jordan to lead them into the postseason then they are in trouble.
One team that’s not in trouble is the team that’s attempting to catch the Clippers, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder might be on the outside looking in with the tenth best record in the Western Conference but don’t get it twisted the Thunder are going to make the playoffs this season.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder played against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night and one thing was clear, the Thunder are ready to go to the playoffs. Time has served them well because it might have taken all season, but the Thunder finally look healthy. More in particular, the Thunder’s best players, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook finally look spry entering the All-Star break.
As for the Clippers, they’re going to enter the All-Star break unhealthy. With the Clippers forward Blake Griffin having surgery on his right elbow to remove a staph infection the injury could leave the Clippers on the outside looking in. Last season Griffin finished third in the MVP voting and his absence on the court will hurt dramatically hurt the Clippers.
If the Clippers do manage to fall down the crack it will leave the door open for the Thunder to take their spot.
The Thunder can catch the Clippers and the rest of the Western Conference because the age-old question still remains……Who on Earth can stop Kevin Durant from scoring?
The Nuggets couldn’t find an answer to that question and because of it they had to suffer the consequences. In the second quarter of the game Durant absolutely went off.
At the end of the first quarter the game was 38-18 and when the Nuggets thought the second quarter was when they would make their run and cut the big lead down but Durant showed them otherwise. Durant only played around seven minutes in the second quarter (6:52 exactly) and he shot 5-for-7 from the floor and 4-for-6 from the three-point line, finishing with 16 points in the second.
In addition he and Westbrook at one point started an 11-0 run. By the end of the second quarter Durant had 24 points on an incredible 8-for-11 shooting from the floor and entering halftime Thunder were leading 73-59.
The Thunder would go on to cruise with a 124-114 victory and Durant finished with 40 points on 13-for-19 shooting from the floor, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 36 minutes of playing time.
Now that the Thunder finally have Durant playing at his MVP level it’s easy to see that their team is one of the most scariest in the league. The Thunder could be in the thick of the playoff race before it’s all said and done.
This week the Thunder already defeated the Clippers and they did it soundly. Durant like normal, once again had an awesome night as he torched the Clippers for 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the floor, five rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes. The result of his explosion? Just an easy 131-108 victory.
Of course there will be travails. The Thunder are going to have to catch the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs if they want to get to the No. 6 seed. Thankfully, soon enough when the Clippers start losing their spot will be their for the taking. Currently the Thunder are in the tenth spot but only eight games behind the Clippers.
Since the Thunder have one of the deepest teams in the league, it’s safe to say that they’re going to make the playoffs. At this point it’s easier to think about their ceiling instead of their floor.
At the end of the day it’s too difficult to bet against Durant. He’s the best player in the league, he’s the reigning NBA MVP and he’s the person who most people would pick to start a franchise with. But for as good as Durant is the supporting cast on his team is great.
Not only can the Thunder do damage with Durant, they have Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams, Dion Waiters, Mitch McGary and Andre Roberson who all play huge roles within the team. All of these players are going to contribute in a large way that will get the Thunder in the playoffs.
Save all of the percentages and projections about the Thunder’s win total. Their going to get into the playoffs because of the simple math. Kevin Durant > Everyone.
Let’s get prepared to watch an epic run of historic proportions happen this February until the end of the season.
Next: NBA: How the Austin Rivers trade keeps looking better for the Los Angeles Clippers
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