The playoff race in the NBA Western Conference threatens to go to the wire, but looking at the last stretch of the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the advantage.
READ MORE:
Ibaka to have knee surgery: Thunder star expected back for playoffs.
Westbrook leads OKC to win over Bulls: (Video) Point guard scores 36 points in win.
Durant still two weeks away from return: KD recovering from second foot procedure.
With just 15 games to go until the end of the regular season, the race is undoubtedly on between these two rivals as they battle for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Thunder (37-30) currently hold the advantage by a half-game over the Pelicans (36-30), but with Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka sidelined, coach Scott Brooks is far from being at full strength.
Point guard Russell Westbrook has certainly made up for it in their absence with a triple-double fest over the past fortnight, but despite his individual brilliance it hasn’t been entirely successful for OKC.
Oklahoma City Thunder remaining games
vs Boston Celtics
vs Atlanta Hawks
vs Miami Heat
vs Los Angeles Lakers
@ San Antonio Spurs
@ Utah Jazz
@ Phoenix Suns
vs Dallas Mavericks
@ Memphis Grizzlies
vs Houston Rockets
vs San Antonio Spurs
vs Sacramento Kings
@ Indiana Pacers
vs Portland Trail Blazers
@ Minnesota Timberwolves
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis has seemingly put the Pelicans on his back and insisted that he will deliver the playoffs to the fans this year.
The 22-year-old is averaging 24.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game this season, and he is certainly showing no signs of slowing down as he recovers from a shoulder problem.
New Orleans also have some key pieces elsewhere on the roster, but their chances of making the post-season rest solely on whether or not AD can make the difference in big games.
A glance at their remaining games will show that they have the tougher assignment, but it isn’t entirely out of reach if Davis can deliver more spectacular performances in the coming weeks.
New Orleans Pelicans remaining games
vs Milwaukee Bucks
@ Phoenix Suns
@ Golden State Warriors
@ Los Angeles Clippers
vs Houston Rockets
vs Sacramento Kings
vs Minnesota Timberwolves
@ Los Angeles Lakers
@ Sacramento Kings
@ Portland Trail Blazers
vs Golden State Warriors
@ Memphis Grizzlies
vs Phoenix Suns
@ Houston Rockets
@ Minnesota Timberwolves
Both teams have some difficult games remaining, but the fact that the Pelicans still have to travel to the Warriors, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Grizzlies and Rockets makes it a very difficult task indeed.
Things may change between now and the end of the season in that teams begin to settle for their places in the standings, particularly in the final few games, and so key players are rested.
However, given the competitiveness of the West, it is unlikely that that will be the case for the most part and with OKC having the majority of their games at home, they are certainly in a much stronger position to sneak into the playoffs come mid-April.
COMMENTS