Oklahoma City put together 48 minutes of inspired basketball, taking out weeks of frustration on the Blazers in Monday’s win. The outburst came before a three-game road trip where the Thunder look for more consistency before the postseason.
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SCHEDULING
The Thunder took out some frustration in regards to some recent poor play by blitzing the Portland Trail Blazers 128-94 on Monday night. The win ended a two-game losing streak at the hands of the Spurs on the road – not surprising – and the Timberwolves at home – a shocker. It was also much needed after OKC dropped eight of its previous 12 games and now hits the road for a three-game trip starting Wednesday in Boston. The Thunder will also visit Philadelphia and Indiana before returning home on Mar. 22. You can’t guarantee wins in the NBA, but playing the Sixers in the middle game of the trip is about as close as it gets. That makes the opener critical for the Thunder, who are looking to regain the form from December and January that launched them into the upper part of the Western Conference standings.
The Celtics encountered a little hitch in their get along losing two of three games ahead of their back-to-back set that begins in Indiana on Tuesday. Friday’s loss to Houston snapped Boston’s 14-game home court winning streak and the loss of Jae Crowder to a high ankle sprain could be more impactful. The Celtics head into a back-to-back with Indy and OKC, each with a high-powered, scoring forward that would draw Crowder’s attention. The C’s have been good in the second leg of back-to-backs this season going 10-5 SU and 9-6 ATS and need to be sharp against the Thunder.
INJURIES
Dion Waiters left the Thunder to deal with a death in his family and the team has given him as much time to grieve as he needs. It’s not known if Waiters will return in time for Wednesday’s game.
The Celtics learned over the weekend that Crowder will miss a couple of weeks with an ankle sprain. But they could get Kelly Olynyk, who’s been out since the All-Star break with a shoulder injury, back in the lineup as early as Tuesday.
KEY MATCHUP
After a 40-8 run over 12 minutes in the first half put OKC out of reach from the Blazers, attention quickly turned to Russell Westbrook’s ballooning stat line. After 16 minutes, he was a rebound away from the fastest triple-double in NBA history. He had to settle for his league-leading 12th triple-double of the season three minutes into the second half, and finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists – with zero turnovers. Westbrook is making it almost routine for people to wonder if anyone’s done that before. His speedy triple-double was the story of this night, but it was the kind of stabilizing game the Thunder needed. After a few weeks of ups and downs and lost fourth quarter leads, the Thunder went on a 48-minute vent. Led by their stat-stuffing point guard, the Thunder could have another outpouring against the Celtics, who will be without Crowder. That leaves Durant without the C’s top defender and Westbrook to climb all over Boston’s small backcourt. OKC is undefeated this season when Westbrook goes triple-double and Boston could be powerless to stop him.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Crowder is averaging 14.4 points but his absence will be most missed on the defensive end where Boston will have to find someone else to guard the likes of Durant. Westbrook doesn’t need a size advantage to put up the ridiculous numbers he has so far, but he will against the Celtics, who counter with diminutive Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, who if sitting on each other’s shoulders still wouldn’t reach Manute Bol’s forehead. Crowder is the type of player coveted by NBA teams. He has size to compete in the block and athleticism to play on the perimeter. The Celtics can play big or small with him in the lineup and those dynamics change. It will take some time for coach Brad Stevens to figure out a rotation and that allows the Thunder to secure a road victory in the Garden.
Oklahoma City 107, Boston 99
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics will take place Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at 7 p.m. ET at TD Garden. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
