By: Matt Pinto

The Thunder have a golden opportunity to gain win number 40 on the season tonight at the Ford Center as the woeful 7-57 New Jersey Nets come calling. 
 

Oklahoma City also has the opportunity to move a remarkable 16 games over the .500 mark to 40-24.  Now fifth in the West, the Thunder enter this game having won three in a row and six of their last seven having squashed the Hornets Wednesday night in the opener of a three game home stand 98-83.  The victory featured 29 points from Kevin Durant and a near triple double of 17 points, 9 assists and 8 boards from Russell Westbrook.  But it also featured what could prove a very costly injury as integral reserve James Harden (10.0ppg, 3.3rpg) went down with a right hamstring strain in the second quarter.  He'll miss two-to-four weeks with that injury.

OKC hasn't had much injury generated adversity with which to deal this season incurring just 7 player games lost among it's top 9 players.  Tonight the firepower that Harden frequently provides off the bench doesn't figure to be missed as the Nets average a paltry 90ppg on an anemic 42%FG accuracy and 31% three point shooting.  But this team has not raised the white flag on the season beating Boston on the road recently and last weekend drilling the Knicks by 20 points at Madison Square Garden.  Their last two games have seen them battle the Grizzlies to a six point loss in Memphis and the Mavericks to a nine point setback in Dallas on Wednesday in a game that saw them jump in front by 18 in the second quarter.

With center Brook Lopez (18.8ppg, 9.0rpg), lightning quick one-time All-Star point guard Devin Harris (17.2ppg, 6.7apg) and blossoming hot second year shooting guard Courtney Lee (12.7ppg on the season but 26ppg over the last six games) this squad has a fairly bright future and is playing hard enough right now to cause problems. 

OKC drilled the Nets in New Jersey December 28th 105-89 as Kevin Durant poured in 40 points about as efficiently as it can be done, knocking down 15-22 shots from the floor while pumping in 10-12 free throws.  While this opponent is beaten down it is playing to avoid matching the worst 82 game regular season record in NBA history which is 9-73.  As the Griz and Mavs recently learned this foe can't be taken for granted right now. 

I suspect that even if the Thunder come out sluggishly against Jersey that they'll awaken in plenty of time to apply the defensive clamps to gain that coveted 40th win at night's end.