Oklahoma City Thunder: Predictions For Big Game 5 Against Rockets
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Houston Rockets on Sunday and look to extend their season in Game 5.
The Oklahoma City Thunder gave away another lead in the fourth quarter and lost Sunday against the Houston Rockets 113-109 in Game 4.
After getting blown out in Game 1, the Thunder have found ways to compete in the past three games, actually winning Game 3 at home.
With Doug McDermott and Alex Abrines coming off the bench, they have found some shooting production and have used their advantage on defense to keep themselves in the game, but in Games 2 and 4 they were not able to get victories out of it.
Game 5 is not only an elimination game, but it is a game that the Thunder need so they don’t have to think about free agency and the draft, which will be big for the team.
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In Game 5, I predict that Russell Westbrook will have another triple-double.
Westbrook can get a triple-double at will with the way the team is put together. Everything runs through him, so his triple-double by halftime on Sunday wasn’t a surprise.
Westbrook’s triple-double on Sunday was the fastest triple-double in NBA Playoffs history in 20 years. Westbrook did it by halftime and his stat line was 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Also, his three straight triple-doubles made him the second person to ever do it in the playoffs, joining Wilt Chamberlain.
Westbrook finished the game with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists and the result was another loss and that will not change in Game 5.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder just cannot stop the Rockets and their firepower. The way the Rockets are built up is just too much for the Thunder to handle right now.
The game will be close, but James Harden will close the game the way he has every other game–making dagger after dagger that demoralizes the Thunder.
Harden scored only 16 points in the game on Sunday, but his team still didn’t lose. That was the first game in the series in which he scored fewer than 35 points.
Harden will be back in Game 5 to try to take over to eliminate the Thunder and move on to the next series.
The way the Thunder can win the game is if the whole team can get involved the way they did inGame 3.
McDermott shot five threes and Abrines shot four, each making two.
If the Thunder can get production out of the bench, they will have a chance.
The Rockets only sub in Nene, Eric Gordon and Lou Williams. The Thunder use Jerami Grant, Abrines, McDermott, Norris Cole and Enes Kanter off the bench.
If the Thunder want to exploit a weakness, it will be the lack of depth off of the Rockets’ bench.
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The Thunder lost the rebound battle in Game 4, 45-40. If they want to win, they have win the rebounding battle, especially with the big bodies that they have. Every weakness the Rockets have must be exploited by the Thunder.
Steven Adams (seven rebounds) and Taj Gibson (two) combined did not have more rebounds than Westbrook’s 14 and that is a problem.
The point guard should not have more rebounds than the big men.
If the Thunder can fix their problems, they might not go home in five games, but it doesn’t seem likely.
The team has a superstar player that is taking them past their limits, but it seems that their time has run out.
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The Houston Rockets will win Game 5, 123-120.