Memphis at Oklahoma City

The Memphis Grizzlies once trailed the Los Angeles Clippers two games to none in their opening round series, but roared back to take four straight to earn the right to take on Oklahoma City in round two. The Clippers scored 93 or more points per game at home, and the Thunder have a tougher offense to defend. I think there will be a feeling out process early in Game One, as teams try to find where the weaknesses are on the defensive end, and where the mismatches occur to exploit them in the second half. It should limit the scoring in the first half. One mismatch for sure will be Kevin Durant. Durant shot over 50% against the Grizzlies in their three regular season games, and got to the line 27 times. I also believe that once this game gets to the fourth quarter, Durant will be the difference maker. One huge advantage the Thunder have for this game is that their top five scorers all have shot 84.6% or higher in the playoffs, while Memphis' top four show no one at or over 80%. The last two games in the regular season saw just 92, and 82 points scored in the first half, and I think this one posts similar numbers as the teams seek an advantage. Play on Oklahoma City and the first half UNDER.