Kevin Durant did not produce one of his finest scoring evenings during his previous matchup, however it did not matter much for the Thunder.
Deron Williams' come back mattered a great deal for the Jazz.
With each club trying for their 2nd victory in as many evenings, Durant & the Thunder visit Williams & Utah on Saturday evening.
Fatigue is not likely to be a significant problem for these squads. Oklahoma City is 5 - 3 when playing the 2nd of contests on back to back evenings, while the Jazz are 8 - 5.
The Thunder ( 32 - 17 ) have picked up 4 of 5, thanks mainly due to an amazing streak by Durant. The League's scoring leader has had forty points or more in 3 of those wins, which includes a personal best, tying 47 during a January 26th victory at the Timberwolves.
Durant seemed quite ordinary Friday at the US Airways Center vs. the Suns, recording his 3rd consecutive double - double however completing having twenty-four points, more than 5 beneath his average for the year of 29.1. The Thunder did not require him to be any better, though, defeating the Suns 111 - 107 to get better to a high for the year above.500.
That which includes Jeff Green, who completed having a team best twenty-eight points, & Serge Ibaka, who put in eighteen on 9 of 10 from the floor. Ibaka put in 6 points within the last 3 minutes as the Thunder turned a 3 point disadvantage into a 4 point win.
Utah ( 30 - 21 ) had lost 8 of 10 coming into Friday's contest at the Pepsi Center vs. the Nuggets, which includes a 2 - 2 mark within Williams' 4 game absence because of a strained tendon in his right wrist.
The All Star PG came back to encounter the Nuggets, & had twenty-six points & 12 assists to assist the Jazz victory 113 - 106, passing the Nuggets for 2nd place during the Northwest Division, 3 matchups behind the Thunder.
While Williams got a successful come back, forward Andrei Kirilenko ( ankle ) & center Mehmet Okur ( back ) skipped the matchup. Their standing is not known for this game.
Williams & Durant have got a couple of memorable games during the last season. Williams got thirty-one points & eleven assists November 15th on their home court, however Durant put in 30 & made all 16 of his free throw attempts to direct Oklahoma City to a 115 - 108 win.
Durant had 1 of the finest individual contests of his career at EnergySolutions Arena vs. the Jazz on April 6th, putting in forty-five points, which includes a personal best 7 three points shots. However, the Thunder dropped 140 - 139 in OT as Williams completed having 42 for Utah.
These clubs have split their 2 last matchups this year, with each picking up a victory on the other's home floor.