Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder drew an interesting first round match up when the Houston Rockets dropped down to the eighth seed after a overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the season finale, making this series one of the most intriguing in the Western Conference. The series is even complete with drama due events that took place prior to the season.
There should be no shortage of points in this series, as it features three of the NBA‘s top six scorers with Kevin Durant (2nd) and Russell Westbrook (6th) for the Thunder and James Harden (5th) for the Rockets. And if you recall, the Thunder opened the door for Harden to become a star by trading him to the Rockets prior to the season due to the two sides being unable to agree on a contract.
Both teams score at a high rate, with Oklahoma City ranking third in the league at 105.7 points per game, barely percentage points behind Houston’s 106 average so there is no clear advantage in the offense area. Where this series will be decided is on the defensive end, where the Thunder only give up 96.5 points as opposed to the 102.5 points allowed by the Rockets, which ranked 28th in the NBA.
Ultimately, this series will be decided by the Thunder’s defense shutting down Harden and company. Oklahoma City has the shot blocker in Serge Ibaka that can stifle Harden’s drives into the paint, making the Rockets a one-dimensional perimeter team. Jeremy Lin will have a hard time staying in front of Westbrook, and will have an even more difficult time getting around him on the other end of the court.
The Rockets had a decent season, but they don’t have nearly enough defense or experience to compete with the Thunder. Oklahoma City should win this series easily four games to one.
