The NBA returns with a massive 13-game slate Tuesday. One matchup that will carry playoff implications will be when the Golden State Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder. That will also be the featured Showdown contest on DraftKings, so let’s highlight some players to target for your entries.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (OKC vs GSW)
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Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Captain’s Picks
Stephen Curry ($16,800 CP): Curry had a rare off night Sunday, shooting 2-for-14 from behind the arc against the Nuggets. He still scored 21 points, although the Warriors ultimately came away with yet another road loss. This is a great matchup for Curry to bounce back since the Thunder have played at the second-fastest pace in the league, behind only the Warriors. Over the two games that he has played against them this season, Curry has averaged 39.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists and a whopping 9.0 three-pointers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($15,900 CP): Gilgeous-Alexander has been at his best as the Thunder try to grab a spot in the playoffs. Over the last 12 games, he has provided 33.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals, while shooting 52.4 percent from the field. If the Thunder are going to keep up with the Warriors in the scoring department, they will likely do so riding Gilgeous-Alexander’s hot hand.
UTIL Plays
Klay Thompson ($7,800): Thompson has some drastic home and road splits. On the road, he has averaged 18.8 points while shooting 41.5 percent from the field. At home, he has averaged 24.4 points and shot 44.7 percent. One of the key differences is that he has shot 42.4 percent from behind the arc at home, compared to 38.5 percent on the road. He doesn’t do enough in terms of rebounds and assists to warrant consideration for the Captain’s Pick, but he’s still a great option for a utility spot.
Kevon Looney ($6,200): With Nikola Jokic (calf) out Sunday, the Nuggets decided to go small and start Jeff Green. That left Looney with a significant size advantage, and he capitalized by hauling in 14 rebounds to go along with six points, a steal and a block. He will have a similar size mismatch in this game against a Thunder team that has allowed the most rebounds per game in the league.
Donte DiVincenzo ($4,400): The Warriors have improved depth with Gary Payton II ($3,800) back in the fold, which doesn’t exactly help DiVincenzo. However, he has been a productive member of the team all season, so don’t expect to see him take a significant hit in playing time. Even with Payton in the fold, DiVincenzo has scored at least 25.8 DKFP in two of the last three games.
Fades
Luguentz Dort ($6,800): When Dort is hot from the field, he can put up points in a hurry. The problem is, he is shooting 39.0 percent from the field for the season. His lack of efficiency has contributed to him scoring 12 points or fewer in four of his last eight games. Since his salary doesn’t come at much of a discount, he might be too risky to deploy with so many other more consistent options available.
THE OUTCOME
Both teams really want to win this game. The Warriors currently occupy the sixth seed in the Western Conference and a loss could push them down into the play-in tournament. The Thunder currently hold onto the final spot in the play-in tournament, but the Mavericks are only one game behind them. The key to this game will likely be the Warriors being the home team. They are 32-8 at home, while the Thunder are 15-24 on the road.
Final Score: Warriors 126, Thunder 116
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (OKC vs GSW)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mbarner51) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.