Oklahoma City concludes its regular season at San Antonio in the second of a back-to-back looking for its third win of the year over the Spurs. Though the Spurs set a record for most wins in a season, they are riding their first three-game losing streak of the year.
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SCHEDULING
The Thunder aren’t exactly piling up victories down the stretch but a win in San Antonio in their regular season finale could be the momentum-building piece needed to spark a deep run in the Western Conference playoffs. OKC is locked into the No. 3 seed and will finish the year off in San Antonio after hosting the Lakers the previous night. Coach Billy Donovan has been resting his stars over the past week and the Thunder limped through a 1-3 road trip. The trip ended with an embarrassing loss to Sacramento with a full complement of players. Now it’s time for the Thunder to start thinking about the postseason.
Coach Gregg Popovich said he isn’t concerned about the Spurs’ undefeated home record. It’s a good thing because the streak was snapped Sunday night by the Warriors. “What does that get you if you’re undefeated? Does it win you anything? That’s why it’s meaningless,” Pop said. Just another sign that the Spurs have their sights set on the big picture and it’s something not even the club’s first three-game losing streak of the season can deter. San Antonio has a chance to become the second team in NBA history to win 40 home games in a season when it closes out its home schedule Tuesday against the Thunder. The Spurs will get primed for the postseason by running their full roster before an away game Wednesday at Dallas to conclude the campaign.
INJURIES
The Thunder have no significant injury issues, however, playing in the second of a back-to-back just ahead of the playoffs might be a good time for Donovan to limit the minutes of his regulars. It’s unlikely OKC sits anyone in this game.
Tim Duncan was rested on Sunday but there’s a good chance he plays against the Thunder. LaMarcus Aldridge suffered a dislocated pinky finger last Thursday and didn’t play when the Spurs completed a road trip in Denver Friday night. He was back in the lineup Sunday and dropped 24 on the Warriors in a losing effort.
KEY MATCHUP
With Tuesday’s game being the second of a back-to-back for the Thunder and San Antonio a possible second-round matchup, there’s a good chance many of OKC’s regulars will spend some time on the bench. That leaves the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year with some minutes to chew up. Thunder reserve center Enes Kanter has quietly put together a tremendous season and has played a key role in the success of the team. Kanter has impressive numbers this season with 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Those would be solid numbers for a starting center who plays around 30 minutes a game, but Kanter is doing that by playing a little more than 20 per game. With four starters resting in a game at Portland last week, Kanter went off for 33 points and 20 rebounds in a little over 35 minutes in a dominating display. Durant and Westbrook get all the attention, but there are other players more than capable of doing the job.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Even though the Spurs set a franchise record for wins, the season is ending on a sour note with their first three-game losing streak of the year. To make it worse, two of the defeats have come against the Warriors, the biggest threat to survive the West and win another NBA championship. So it would behoove the Spurs to get back on the winning track with two games remaining. And there’s a good chance they catch the Thunder pulling some regulars back in the second of their season-ending back-to-back set. These two are headed for a second-round playoff matchup and it’s likely we won’t see too much given away by either side, but the bottom line is winning and both would benefit from a victory heading into the postseason. However, the Spurs have the edge in this one.
NBA Odds: San Antonio 103, Oklahoma City 97
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will take place Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at the ATT Center. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
