Western Conference Clash: Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Western conference is up for grabs. Thus has been by far the most competitive season in years as the 2nd through 8th seeded teams are separated by a mere 3.5 games. The pairings for the playoffs will most likely not be determined until the final day of the season. Friday night offers a match-up of 2 of these teams. The Oklahoma City Thunder will play host to the Phoenix Suns in a game that is hugely important to both teams.

Phoenix is currently in the 4th position in the West, but has just a half game lead over the surging Utah Jazz. Conversely, the Suns are just a half game back of number 2 seed Denver. The next 4 games can determine whether or not Phoenix takes the number 2 seed and home court for the first 2 rounds or the number 5 seed which would put them on the road in the first round.

Oklahoma City is in a 3 way tie with San Antonio and Portland. They will not have the opportunity to have home court advantage in the first round, but depending on where they end up they could either be playing the Lakers, Nuggets, Mavericks or Suns in the first round.

Kevin Durant has become a legitimate superstar in the NBA. His 29.9 points per game are second in the league putting him behind just LeBron James. He also leads the Thunder with 7.6 rebounds and 1.35 steals per contest. UCLA alum Russell Westbrook has proven to be a solid point guard for this squad. His 16.3 points and 8 assists per game have made a huge difference for Oklahoma City. Despite the abundance of youth on this team, the Thunder play like a bunch of veterans. They have won several games in the last closing minutes, and have routinely made clutch shots when the game is on the line. Jeff Green and James Harden have combined for 25 points, almost 10 rebounds and 4 assists per game. The bench has been a strength for Oklahoma City as they have 5 players that average at least 5 points per game. They will need to finish strong if they want to avoid playing the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

Phoenix may be the hottest team in the NBA right now. They have won 11 of their last 12 games, and have put themselves in a position to have home field in the first round. Their remaining schedule is difficult as they will play Oklahoma City, Houston, Denver and Utah. The final game against Utah could potentially determine which of those 2 teams has home court advantage for the opening round.

Steve Nash has been the catalyst for this Suns team over the last few weeks. In terms of scoring, Nash takes a back seat to Amare Stoudemire and his 23 points per game, but in terms of leadership and court presence, Nash is the key to the Suns success. He’s averaging an incredible 11 assists per game in this high octane offense, and has an assist to turnover ratio of 3-1. Jason Richardson and Grant Hill contribute over 27 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Regardless of where Phoenix finishes in the standings, they will be a difficult match-up for whomever they play.

Tune in Friday night as Phoenix and Oklahoma City fight for positioning in the Western conference.

Related posts:

1. Portland Trailblazers and Oklahoma City Thunder Fight for 6 Seed
2. Lakers/ Suns Western Conference Championship Preview
3. Western Conference Finals Game 5: Phoenix vs. Los Angeles
4. Western Conference Finals Game 1: Mavericks vs. Thunder
5. Western Conference Showdown: Lakers vs. Suns

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