At high noon local time April 1, two of the NBA's titans will meet in Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Chicago Bulls at 42-11, tops in the NBA, meet the Oklahoma City Thunder who are 39-12 and own the second-best record.
ESPN reports superstar Derrick Rose will miss his 10th game in a row. But the game will still have a championship feel. The Thunder are 7-3 over their past 10 games and the Bulls are 8-2. The meeting will feature two of the NBA's hottest teams.
Many pundits, including the Chicago Tribune, are calling the game a preview of the NBA Finals. Until the Bulls and Thunder give me an indication otherwise, both teams will indeed be in the NBA Finals in June. In the compact NBA season, both teams have weathered injuries and are winning. Some teams have been decimated by injuries and then fell off the face of the Earth. The Bulls and Thunder have been two consistent teams that have remained at the top.
Can Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook continue the winning at home? The Thunder are 22-4 in Chesapeake Energy Arena. However, the Bulls are 21-6 on the road which is the best in the NBA. Something has to give in a game featuring an unmovable object against an unstoppable force.
Oklahoma City is on a five-game winning streak. Chicago hasn't truly had a losing streak this season.
Forget the game against the Miami Heat. This game will feature a team with great offense against a team with great defense. The Thunder lead the NBA with 103.7 points per game. The Bulls give up only 88.6 points per contest, second best in the league.
The key will be bench play as always. Durant and Westbrook will probably get their points. How Chicago controls James Harden may determine the outcome of the game. The Bulls have four other players in double figures and another that scores 9.9 points per game. Chicago doesn't score as much offensively but the defense will be one of the toughest that OKC will face this season.
ABC will cover the matchup live starting at 1 p.m. ET. The national audience will get an NBA treat a full month before the playoffs actually begin.
William Browning has been a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder ever since the team relocated from Seattle. As the closest NBA team to Branson, Mo., the Thunder serve as the regional team for southwest Missouri.
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