NBA 2018-19: Matches to watch out for in Week 9, Dec 10th to Dec 16th
#5 Oklahoma City vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, December 16th
Russell Westbrook doesn't like Patrick Beverley ever since the former Rocket made a dirty play against him which resulted in a serious knee injury and ruled him out of the 2013 playoffs. Westbrook hasn't forgotten nor forgiven, and the beef between them seems to show its face whenever they meet. They have already faced off on two occasions this season, both in October, and tensions were high between the pair in both games.
The Thunder are second in the West and the Clippers are fourth; this game holds some importance in the Western Conference standings and could even have playoff tiebreaker ramifications later down the track. Many thought the Clippers drop-off was inevitable after they started the season so well, but after eight full weeks they still stand among the West's elite and are showing very few signs of slowing down.
Behind Westbrook and Paul George, the Thunder have been rolling and are starting to look like a real threat. They have flown under the radar, but it's time to acknowledge them as they are now sitting second in the West and look like they can go deep into the playoffs. They are playing the most balanced, organised, team-oriented basketball since Kevin Durant's departure in 2016.
The Clippers have been one of the most polarizing teams in the league as they keep winning games with no true superstar at the helm. Tobias Harris, Louis Williams, Danilo Gallinari and co. keep finding a way to get their wins; Doc Rivers is clearly the coach of the year so far.
Keep one eye on Westbrook and Beverley, but don't get caught up in that and miss out on what should be a great game of basketball between two highly entertaining teams.