MY KINGS

Doogles

This post might jinx it, but we're up on the thunder by 20 with 8 to go in the 4th. Tequilla vs. Road watch continues to be interesting.

Tequilla

Phoenix is now 4 up in the standings (3 in the loss column). After the end of their road trip this weekend (2 more games), they will have played 24 of their first 40 games of the season on the road. With the games in hand, there's potential that OKC will have a few more potential schedule losses in their schedule remaining.

I still expect OKC to make the playoffs ... but the we're getting close to the halfway part of the season and they are still 5-5 in their last 10 games ... so the sooner they get hot the better for them (they have a difficult east coast stretch coming up as well).

Doogles

If you recall I was with you, and then the west (mainly phoenix and my kings) just completely shit the bed. OKC has overachieved as well, I really thought there would be a little bit more of growing pains after the injuries and therefore much more separation in the standings at this point.

We'll see, and I think ultimately it will be hard to keep OKC out, but it is again interesting.

Tequilla

I do ...

At this point, OKC is up to 19 losses. I figured they would get to about 52 wins (30 losses). To get to that point, OKC needs to play the rest of the year at 35-11 (.760 ball). Only Golden State, Portland, and Atlanta are playing at that level so far this year. .760 ball is pretty much balling.

I still think they'll get in ... but even .700 ball the rest of the way gets them to 49-33. The margin for error is shrinking.

RoadDawg55

It's looking like a good battle, but saying OKC has over achieved is pretty stupid. They have mostly done what they normally do with the stars healthy and done poorly with them out. They aren't even .500 and have always been one of the best teams with Durant and Westbrook healthy.

Getting blown out by the Kings isn't good, but it's only a matter of time before the Thunder start going on 6 game winning streaks and winning 12 of 15. There are years of data.

Doogles

Overachieving isn't the right word, I just assumed a little more rust would be apparent when they got back into the swing of things. Seeing Durant hobble on a walking boot inspired a little confidence in this theory. I was wrong on that part, they essentially jumped right back into the thick of things without skipping a beat. Couple that with Phoenix losing like 9 straight and the Kings* randomly firing Malone while Cousins was sick and boom it's close.

*Never thought the Kings would make the playoffs, but was noting their improvement as cause for concern in OKC's efforts to make the top 8 in an increasingly better West. Tonight's outcome shows that.