Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 16/11/2023, 06:14  by Joseph King | Modified on 16/11/2023 at 14:00 in NBA Prediction

The second of Thursday’s two-game NBA slate takes us to the Western Conference where the depleted 6–6 Warriors will take on the 7-4 OKC Thunder. It’s been a wild week for Golden State who saw Draymond Green and Klay Thompson ejected from their 104-101 loss to the Timberwolves on Tuesday. Adam Silver and the NBA decided to hand Green a five-game suspension after securing a rear-naked choke on Twolves center Rudy Gobert that would have made UFC fans proud. Klay Thompson, Gobert and Jaden McDaniels all avoided suspension but will have to pay a $25,000 fine for their involvement. What’s more concerning for the Warriors is their immediate form. The 2021/22 champions have lost their last four games on the trot to drop their record to .500 on the season and put them seventh in the West. To make matters worse, the Dubs will be without Stephen Curry as the two-time MVP continues to recover from a knee injury.

The Thunder are looking poised for a big year. They’ve been cultivating a number of high-potential draft picks over the years and things look to be coming together for them. Led by the MVP-caliber level of play from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City currently holds the fifth-seed in the Western Conference with a 7-4 record. Their most recent outing resulted in their biggest win of the season as they ran out 123-87 winners over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. OKC shot 52% from the field and 38.5% from downtown as they drilled 15 threes in the victory. The visitors' improvement on defense has been one of the catalysts for their rise. OKC ranks second in the NBA in terms of opponent effective FG% at just 50.5%.