Pregame 32: Thunder Vs. 76ers

        VS.

Where: Oklahoma City - Chesapeake Arena

When: Friday, January 4 @ 7 PM CST

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

TV: Fox Sports Southwest (Cox 37, HD 722; Tulsa Cox 27; DirectTV 679; UVerse 754)

Stream: Click Here

Tonight is the second meeting between the Thunder and the 76ers for the 2012-13 season. The last match up between these two teams ended up up in a 116-109 overtime win for Oklahoma City. 

The 76ers are in a bit of a rough patch as of late compared to their 10-6 November record. Since the end of November, Philadelphia has gone a record of 5-12 in games since. Even with their sub .500 record, the 76ers are tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with Boston. If the season were to end today, Philadelphia would be a playoff contender. However, there is much of the season left to play and many more games to be played before time comes around for the playoffs. 

Philadelphia is a decent Eastern Conference team with good young talent. Jrue Holiday is a potential All-star, if not this year then in future years. Once back from injury, they will also get one of the better Centers in the league, if Andrew Bynum can fix the constant lapses in judgement. Evan Turner is a good young talent who can score when needed and is just starting to come into his own as a player. Thaddeus Young is an athlete with 5 years under his belt and is an efficient big man for the 76ers. However, this 76ers team lacks the consistency and chemistry of a team such as the Thunder. With movement before the trade deadline to get more integral pieces, Philadelphia can become a serious contender in the East. Until then, the 76ers seem to be destined for the brink of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. 

Oklahoma City comes into tonight's game following a tough loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Many thought this game involved poor officiating, but allowing a player such as Joe Johnson to score such as he did on Wednesday night will certainly not help an effort for winning any game. Along with allowing Brook Lopez to score 25 points instead of an average 14 to 16, the Thunder played lax defense and turned the ball over way to often leading to 17 point loss to the Nets. 

The Thunder should come into tonight with a bit more pep in the step then what was seen in their last outing. Look for the defense for Oklahoma City to be much more solid than on Wednesday and look for decrease in the amount of turnovers for the team. Either OKC will bounce back from their loss to the Nets and take it to the 8th-placed 76ers or the game will end up close such as the last meeting between these two teams. I am going to go with the prior. 

Prediction: 113-104 Thunder. 

Points of Interest

• Scores Galores. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both scored 30+ points in the last match-up vs. the 76ers. With no one really capable to keep a lid on KD or the Wolverine, look for both of these teammates to switch off torching the 76ers' offense from the inside and out. 
• I'll Be Back. For a few games during december, our own resident Terminator, Russell Westbrook, decided to lose his shooting stroke. Thankfully it has come back from the future and Westbrook can proceed with destroying Skynet ( A.K.A. The Miami Heat).
• Cold Bench. Recently, Scott Brooks has decided to go deeper into his bench, looking for sparks in stretches where the Thunder offense is lacking any life. Reggie Jackson has seen his minutes go up, Thabeet has returned somewhat, and Jeremy Lamb has gotten a few quality minutes here and there. If the newcomers for OKC can start to produce not just in the 66ers, D-League Affiliate of the Thunder, but produce on an NBA level on a night-to-night basis, then OKC will become an even more potent offense and team than they already are. 

Thunder Up!