Two Hot Teams Collide Tonight in Brooklyn
The Oklahoma City Thunder, fresh off a thumping of the World Champion Miami Heat on Wednesday, take on the red hot Brooklyn Nets tonight in the Big Apple. The Nets are coming off a disappointing loss against the Toronto Raptors in their previous game. The 104-103 loss dropped them to three games under .500 and was their first in six games. Their last two defeats have both been to the Atlantic Division leading Raptors. In non-Toronto games the Nets have won 10 in a row.
One of those wins was over the Thunder on the road on January 2nd, 95-93. The Thunder has been equally hot with nine straight wins. Their star forward Kevin Durant has been a scoring machine, perhaps even more than usual. He has scored at least 30 points in every game during the streak including 54 on 1/17 against the Golden State Warriors and 46 against the Portland Trail Blazers on 1/21. Will Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce be able to slow him down tonight? That is the big question.
The Thunder have asserted themselves as a legitimate title contender with their win on the road over the Heat. If there is one team in the Western Conference that may strike a little fear in the two-time champions, it is likely the Thunder who they faced in the NBA Finals two years ago. When healthy, the Thunder look to be a team that might be able to hang with Miami in a seven game series.
This game is a great test for the Nets, who started the season miserably under rookie head coach Jason Kidd. Kidd received much criticism early on from everyone, including sometimes players from going to the players locker room to the head coach’s office in one season. But he sure does look like he knows what he’s doing now.
Bovada has odds on the games involving the Atlantic Division tonight:
Atlanta Hawks at Philadelphia 76ers– Hawks are -4 -115 and Sixers are +4 -105. We like the Hawks to cover in this one. Take the Hawks -4 -115.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Brooklyn Nets– Thunder is -5 -115 and Nets are +5 -105. We like the Nets +5 -105 in this one. They have been playing to well not to take the points.
Toronto Raptors at Denver Nuggets– Toronto is another hot team having won four of their last five games. They are 24-21 and in the lead in the Atlantic even though most of the attention goes to the Nets and the New York Knicks. The Nuggets are at 22-22 which would have them in decent shape in the East, but in the West they are in danger of missing the playoffs. Raptors are +2 Even and Nuggets are -2 Even. We like the Raptors +2 Even in this one.
