Nuggets vs Thunder Preview and Prediction
Two of the best young teams for the Western Conference meet tonight when the Denver Nuggets visit the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder opens a home stand of six games tonight against the Nuggets.
Serge Ibaka has enjoyed quite a run for the Thunder and will take advantage of a frontcourt for Denver that is undersized and has struggled defensively of late, especially in the paint area.
Ibaka is just one more problem Denver will face on defense besides two of the NBA’s most explosive players in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
Denver is allowing more than 104 points a game on defense. The Nuggets face the league’s top scorer in Durant who is averaging 28.4 points per games. Add to that Westbrook’s 21.7 points per game, which leads all guards in the league.
On Saturday, Durant and Westbrook combined to score 50 points, but Ibaka had 15 points along with 20 rebounds in a victory over Milwaukee 92-79.
Ibaka is starting to become more consistent with his rebounding and his coach Scott Brooks, said consistency is what makes a good professional in the NBA.
It was the fourth time in the past six games that Ibaka recorded a double-double, a run during which Ibaka is averaging over 18 points per game on 64% shooting and 11.5 rebounds to go along with 2.7 blocks.
This is quite impressive for Ibaka, who has career averages of 9.9 points and 7.2 boards.
Ibaka who is 6-foot-10 should be able to have a big night against the small frontcourt of the Nuggets. Denver has started three forwards of late, with none any taller than 6-foot-9. Denver received a tough blow last week when JaVale McGee their center suffered a broken leg.
Denver allowed 56 points to be scored in the paint in their 117-113 victory at home against Minnesota Friday night. Then on Saturday, the Nuggets lost at Houston 122-111 allowing 62 points in the paint.
Ibaka scored 11 points and grabbed 5.5 rebounds per game in four meetings against Denver last season and the team lost 3 of the 4. However, at that time, Denver had McGee and fellow center Kostas Koufos, both 7-footers.
Things are different this season as McGee is out injured and the team traded Koufos to Memphis, which means only Timofey Mozgov is taller than 6-foot-9 for Denver.
Kendrick Perkins, the starting center for Oklahoma City played Saturday after sitting out for two games due to his grandfather dying. In the game on Saturday, Perkins helped his teammates to hold their opponents to under 90 points for the first time in the season.
At home, the Thunder is 3-0. The Thunder stays at home through December 3. The Nuggets are 1-3 away from home, but did defeat Oklahoma City in March on the road.
Pick: the Thunder is too strong and explosive for an undersized and unmanned team. I like the Thunder 109-99
