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Oklahoma City will be on the second game of a tough back-to-back scheduling spot here. They were in Los Angeles last night to take on the Clippers. Can the Golden State Warriors take advantage of a slightly weary Oklahoma City team, or will the team with the best record in the NBA take care of business once again on Wednesday night?

Game Overview:

Oklahoma City is 20-4 against the Western Conference so far this year. The Thunder lead the league in scoring at 106 points per game. This team has always been potent on the offensive end, but the single biggest difference in this year’s team is their ability to shut teams down on the defensive end. Oklahoma City is holding opponents to just 42.9 percent shooting from the floor. This isn’t a team that simply has to outscore their opponent anymore. Now they can rely on their half court defense as well.

Kevin Durant is averaging 29.5 points per game this year. He is shooting almost 52 percent from the floor overall, and 40.4 percent from beyond the arc. Russell Westbrook’s shooting numbers are down across the board this year, but he is averaging almost three more assists per game than he did last year. Kevin Martin has fit in brilliantly with this team. Martin is the team’s best three-point shooter, and he is great at getting into the paint and drawing fouls. Serge Ibaka continues to get better offensively as well, and he can take over the game at times. There are just so many people to guard on this Thunder team.

The Golden State Warriors are off to their best start in more than a decade. The Bay Area is buzzing with excitement about the potential of this young team. Many expected this team to be improved this year, but not many saw a 25-15 start coming. There isn’t a better three-point shooting team in the league than the Warriors. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jarrett Jack, and Harrison Barnes are all shooting at least 38 percent from long range. Curry is arguably the best spot up shooter in the NBA right now. He leads the team in scoring with 20.7 points per game.

Golden State has had two major weaknesses in the past few years: rebounding and defense. They seem to have addressed both of those issues this year. David Lee and Carl Landry are both doing a great job on the boards. Lee is averaging 20 points and 11 boards per game this year, and he is one of the more valuable players in the Western Conference. Coach Jackson said when he took over this team that they were going to focus on getting better on the defensive end, and they have done that this year. Golden State is allowing opponents to shoot just 43.4 percent from the floor, which is sixth best in the NBA.

Free Pick: Warriors +2

The Warriors are catching the Thunder in the perfect spot, and I think they’ll want to make a major statement here. Look for Golden State’s energy on the defensive end to lead them to an upset win at home.

Warriors 103 Thunder 102