Three Things To Know: Thunder vs Pacers

One night after dominating the 76ers in Philadelphia, the Thunder are back in action against the Pacers (36-32) at 6 p.m. inside of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Here are three things to know about the West vs East showdown. 

Will the streak continue?

The Thunder (47-22) are in the midst of playing some of its best basketball of the season, as OKC has reeled off three straight victories by double-digits with two of those wins coming against playoff teams (Blazers, Celtics). With the exception of last night's sloppy game against Philly, the Thunder have done a better job of taking care of the ball as of late and the effort on defense has been more consistent. 

As we approach the final stretch of the regular season, it's crucial the Thunder are peaking at the right time heading into the playoffs. A win against the Pacers to extend its win streak to four games would be a definite morale boost for OKC after its sluggish start out of the all-star break. 

Stop the scorers

Indiana has the luxury of having two scoring threats on the perimeter in Paul George and Monta Ellis. It's no secret that George is one of the best two-way players in the league and is averaging 23.3 ppg on the season. His wing buddy, Ellis, can put the ball in the basket at will and has been known to torch the Thunder in the past. Back in 2012, Ellis lit up the Thunder for a 48 points when he was still playing for the Warriors and scored 27 in the Pacers' win over the Thunder earlier this season. 

OKC will also have to deal with Myles Turner in the post, as the rookie has shown a lot of promise and has been playing solid basketball over the last couple of months. 

Revenge game

Last month the Thunder narrowly lost 101-98 to the Pacers in OKC as Indiana finished the game on a 17-7 run while stroking four 3-pointers in the last 2:30. There's no doubt the Thunder still remember that puzzling loss and will be looking for revenge on Saturday night.