The Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs battle Wednesday for better positioning in the upcoming Western Conference NBA playoffs. Tipoff is at 9:30 p.m. ET; a link to the live stream is provided below the game preview.
Oklahoma City (41-30) continues to hold onto the No. 8 seed in the West, despite the absence of superstar Kevin Durant. Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has hurtled himself into the MVP discussion since the loss of Durant, turning out big game after big game. He now has 10 triple-doubles on the season, he leads the league in scoring and his numbers - 27.5 points, 8.7 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game - suggest he's playing at an even higher level than Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James.
Although the Thunder learned this week they may be without Durant (foot) for the remainder of the season, an unlikely hero has emerged to give Oklahoma City a much-needed second scoring option: center Enes Kanter. The Thunder picked up Kanter in a trade with the Utah Jazz in February, and it's a move that so far has paid off. The big man is averaging 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in the month of March, helping Oklahoma City retain its slim three-game lead over Phoenix.
The Thunder are heading into San Antonio looking for their fifth straight win after a 127-117 victory Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, thanks to Westbrook's 27 points and 11 assists and Kanter's 25 points and 16 rebounds.
"We did a good job of just staying in attack mode and finishing well in the paint," Westbrook said, via ESPN. "(Kanter) did a good job of being aggressive. Enes has good touch, especially around the paint and you are seeing that early."
San Antonio (44-26), meanwhile, sits sixth in the West after having its three-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, 101-94.
Watch the live stream HERE.
