The Thunder don’t let teams knock down many threes
The Thunder don’t boast an elite defense, but their play on that end surely isn’t below-average, especially when it comes to defending the 3-point line.
OKC gives up a 34.4% opponent 3-point field goal percentage, per NBA.com stats. That ties them for sixth in the league for the category with the Miami Heat.
Matchups in the postseason are so crucial. With the Thunder ranked fifth, they’d currently play the Utah Jazz in the first round.
That’s a relatively even matchup, but the difference would likely come down to whether the Thunder could keep the Jazz from making a bevy of threes. The Jazz rank second in 3-point percentage behind the Heat, shooting at a 38.3% clip this season.
The Thunder are 1-1 in the season series against the Jazz this season. During their win over Utah in December, the Thunder held the Jazz to 25.8% shooting from deep.
OKC will play the Jazz at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. EST.
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