Two teams in the thick of the Western Conference playoff picture will go head-to-head when the Spurs host the Oklahoma City Thunder in San Antonio on Saturday night. Entering the matchup, the Thunder sit in the third spot in the competitive Western Conference, while the Spurs are fighting for their playoff lives, and occupy the eighth and final spot heading into Saturday night.
The meeting between the Spurs and Thunder will be the third and final of the [regular] season, with the teams splitting the first two contests, meaning the winner on Saturday night will take the season series.
How to watch Thunder at Spurs
- Date: Saturday, March 2
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: AT&T Center -- San Antonio, Texas
- TV: NBA League Pass
- Streaming: fuboTV (try it free)
- Live stats: GameTracker
- Odds: Spurs -4.5
Odds and analysis
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Storylines
Thunder: OKC will be looking for a bounce-back win over the Spurs after falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in dramatic fashion on Thursday night. Paul George didn't play against the Sixers due to shoulder soreness, and he will be out again vs. San Antonio. In his absence, Markieff Morris will likely see a big bump in minutes.
Spurs: Every game is a big one for the Spurs at this point in the season, as they are clinging to the final playoff spot in the West. The game against the Thunder will be San Antonio's first without Pau Gasol, who recently agreed to a buyout with the team and is set to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Game prediction
Paul George's absence plays a major part in the line of this game. If George were suiting up, the Thunder would likely be favored, but with him sidelined due to shoulder soreness, the Spurs are seen as the favorites. The fact that the game is a home game for the Spurs also factors in as they are one of the league's better home teams with a 23-7 mark at the AT&T Center entering Saturday night.
However, thanks to a solid defense and a former NBA MVP in Russell Westbrook, the Thunder remain a very formidable squad even without George, and with a +4.5 point cushion they would be my pick in this one.
