Oklahoma City Thunder vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction: Will the Hawks be able to get revenge?

The first game between Atlanta and Oklahoma City ended with a win for the Thunder. Will the Hawks be able to get revenge?

The Thunder have been playing without exaggeration as one of the best teams in the Western Conference lately. In the previous game, the team handled Denver, the West's leader, on the road. They finished with a score of 101:99, and despite the absence of Nikola Jokic, Oklahoma's merits should not be underestimated. The Thunder have won seven of their last nine games, including victories over season leaders Dallas (120:109), Brooklyn (112:102), and Philadelphia (133:114). Oklahoma is already tenth in the West standings, just two wins behind the playoffs.

The Hawks, after winning five straight games, lost twice. First, they lost a 20-point lead at home to East-leading Charlotte (118:122). On the road, they failed to manage Chicago (100:111), playing extremely poorly on offense and allowing 19 turnovers. Atlanta continues their chase for the playoff spot, sitting comfortably in eighth place in the NL East, but, as recent games have shown, they're still far from their best form.

The way Oklahoma has been playing lately makes it the clear favorite for the upcoming game. Not only are the Thunder now showing a high level of offense, but, as their recent games against Denver and Brooklyn have shown, the team is also capable of defending well. Atlanta is very unstable and can hardly play to order against such a good team at the moment. The Hawks' previous game against Chicago provided plenty of answers regarding the prospects of Nate McMillan's team this season.