A battle between division rivals trending in the right direction is scheduled for Tuesday at 9:10 p.m. EDT. The Oklahoma City Thunder (35-15; 31-19-0 ATS) and Utah Jazz (25-26; 30-21-0 ATS) are crossing paths for the third time this season. OKC won the first two high-scoring battles. Will round three follow suit, or are the Jazz going to change the tune in Delta Center?
Oklahoma City is tied for first in the Western Conference, but the race at the top is tight. Hitting the road with a three-game winning streak, OKC will lean on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to power the league's sixth-highest offensive rating. The Thunder have the NBA's best true shooting percentage thanks to excellent efficiency from every part of the floor. OKC also has the league's third-lowest turnover percentage offensively. This team is 28th in offensive rebounding percentage, but that's their only glaring flaw. Otherwise, the Thunder are tough to stop.
Yet, OKC is even better on the other end, ranking fourth in defensive rating. They allow the second-lowest field goal percentage in the NBA. The Thunder are the best team at defending the rim and forcing midrange misses. They allow a lot of threes but are decent at contesting them. Oklahoma City forces the most turnovers per contest. Defensive rebounding (29th) and free throw attempts allowed (24th) are areas of concern, but not enough to keep the Thunder from dominating defensively.