OKLAHOMA CITY -- When the Warriors take the floor at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, it will a classic battle of wills.
It also is a potential first-round playoff series.
The Warriors (56-21) prefer to play small and will try to stay true to that. OKC (45-33) generally relies on one of the longest lineups in the NBA and therefore is likely to force some adjustments.
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While the Warriors are locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Thunder are among six teams, only three games apart, battling for the final five players berths
BETTING LINE
Thunder by 4.5
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Golden State Warriors
Warriors backcourt vs. Russell Westbrook: The Warriors realize Westbrook is a load for any single defender. So they will send, at various times, Klay Thompson, Quinn Cook or even Nick Young or Draymond Green. The key to containing Westbrook is using multiple defenders, “building a wall,” to deny penetration. They failed in the first two games against OKC, largely because turnovers allowed easy transition buckets, but got it right on the third try.
INJURY REPORT
Warriors: F Kevin Durant (R rib soreness) and G Klay Thompson (R thumb fracture) were listed as probable and upgraded to available after shootaround. F Omri Casspi (R ankle sprain), G Stephen Curry (L MCL sprain), F/G Andre Iguodala (L knee soreness), F/C Kevon Looney (flu-like symptoms) and G Pat McCaw (lumbar spine contusion) are listed as out.
Thunder: G Andre Roberson (L patellar surgery) is listed as out.
LAST 10
Warriors: 5-5. Thunder: 6-4.
GAME OFFICIALS
Jason Phillips (crew chief), Tony Brown, Sean Corbin
SERIES HISTORY
The Warriors lost the first two of four total meetings this season, 108-91 on Nov. 22 in Oklahoma City and 125-105 on Feb. 6 in Oakland, before taking a 112-80 victory on Feb. 24 in Oakland. The Warriors swept four games last season and are 11-3 against the Thunder in the Steve Kerr era.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
TURNOVERS: OKC leads the NBA in deflections, loose-ball recovery and points off turnovers. The Warriors gave up 72 points off 47 turnovers in the first two meetings before improving to to 18 and 16 in the third meeting. If the Warriors don’t keep it together on offense, they’re asking to get blown off the floor.
THE GLASS: The Thunder averages a league-best 14.9 second-chance points per game, largely because also lead the league in offensive rebounding (12.5 per game). Nobody is better at it than C Steven Adams (5.1 per game). Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee did a terrific job keeping Adams off the glass last time. Can they do it again?
THE ATMOSPHERE: Durant was the most popular member of the Thunder for eight years, so there was downright hostility toward him when the Warriors came to town last season. There was a lot less evidence of that when the Warriors visited in November. Now that Durant and Westbrook have addressed their rift, maybe it’s time the fans recall Durant with more fondness. Maybe.