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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015
PAGE 7
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THE DAILY DEBATE
Will the Oklahoma City Thunder make the playoffs as an eight seed?
YES
The Oklahoma City Thunder have major impact players out.
including Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka, but one guy they have healthy is playing his best is Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook has been a triple-double machine, recording 11 triple-doubles on the season, with his last coming on Sunday at home vs. the Houston Rockets. In that game Westbrook had 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.
The guard is currently averaging 27.5 points,8.6 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game in 61 games played.
For now, Durant and Ibaka may be out, however, it's possible that Ibaka could
come back if the Thunder make it to the NBA Playoffs
Ibaka leads the Thunder in blocked shots per game with 2.4, and he's averaged 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Thunder in 64 games played this year. Durant on the other hand has had multiple injuries throughout the year, but averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in 27 games played.
One player who has made an impact for the Thunder in a midseason trade is Enes Kanter. Kanter was traded away from Utah, where he just did not fit into the Jazz's system. He found himself a home in Oklahoma City.
The third year player out of Kentucky, has played 20 games for the Thunder and has been key with Thunder forward and former Jayhawk Nick Collision out with an ankle injury.
Kanter is averaging 18.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, ever since the Thunder got him from the Jazz.
playoffs, with Ibaka scheduled to come back, the Thunder could give their first round opponent a good test. If the Thunder were in the playoffs currently, they would take on the best team in the league in the Golden State Warriors.
If Westbrook and Kanter could lead this team to the
With five games to play, the Thunder play three teams with below.500 records,but two of those contests are away from Oklahoma City. The other two teams the Thunder plays are the Spurs at home tonight and on April 13 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
If the Thunder could get balanced with an injury-bugged team, this team could see themselves in the playoffs. Westbrook is going to have put up even bigger numbers in the last few games of the season or the Thunder will miss the playoffs for the first time since they moved to Oklahoma City prior to the 2008-09 season.
— Edited by Miranda Davis
With the NBA Playoffs approaching.
NO
the race for the eight seed in the Western Conference has boiled down to three teams: the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New Orleans Pelicans and
"BETWEEN NEW ORLEANS AND OKLAHOMA CITY, THE THUNDER HAVE AN EASIER ROAD IN THE FINAL WEEK OF THE SEASON."
the Phoenix Suns.
As it sits now, Oklahoma City holds a half-game lead over New Orleans for the eight spot and a three-game lead over Phoenix. The Thunder do not play either team in the final week of the season, while the Pelicans and Suns meet April 10. This game is essentially a must-win for Phoenix, and New Orleans can inch closer to Oklahoma City with a win.
Between New Orleans and Oklahoma City, the Thunder have an easier road in the final week of the season. In their final six games, the Pelicans play Golden State, Memphis, Houston and San Antonio, four of the top six teams in the West. The Thunder only have to slave off San Antonio and Portland, two of the top six in the West.
Phoenix would need a lot of help from both New Orleans and Oklahoma City. They would also have to win at least three of their final five games to hang around in the playoff hunt.
Although they face the tougher opponents, this
might play into the favor of the Pelicans if some of the teams rest players.
One factor to take into account is the Thunder are without Kevin Durant for the remainder of the season, while the Pelicans have been able to stay relatively healthy towards the end of the regular season after battling injuries early. Guard Jure Holiday is out with a stress fracture in his right leg, but guard Tyreke Evans is set to return from an ankle sprain Wednesday against Memphis.
After returning from a shoulder sprain in February, forward Anthony Davis has come back strong and has three 30-plus point games. nine 20-plus point games and one 43-point outing in 14 games.
If Davis can continue his impressive play through the Pelicans final six games and have Tyreke Evans return fully healthy, they will have every chance to compete with and possibly overtake the Thunder for the final Western Conference playoff spot.
Ventura overcomes thumb cramp, Royals rout White Sox
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Edited by Miranda Davis
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Yordano Ventura pitched six solid innings before leaving with a thumb cramp, Alex Rios had a three-run homer among his three hits and the AL champion Kansas City Royals routed the Chicago White Sox 10-1 on Monday.
Ventura was replaced by Kelvin Herrera in the seventh after crumpling to the ground following a strike to Adam LaRoche. The preliminary report was a right thumb cramp. Ventura will be evaluated later this week, but Royals trainers said it is not believed to be serious.
run single in the inning.
Rios, who was making his Kansas City debut, homered in a five-run seventh with Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon aboard. Gordon stroked a two-
Jose Abreu homered in the seventh for Chicago.
White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija, who did not allow a run in 15 innings during a pair of opening-day starts with the Chicago Cubs the past two years, yielded five runs and six hits in six-plus innings. He walked three, hit two batters with pitches and threw a wild pitch.
After an exhilarating postseason run last year that ended with a Game 7 loss to San Francisco in the World Series, the Rovals got off to a fast start in 2015.
Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas, their first two hitters, went a combined 4 for 7, plus two walks, and scored five runs. Moustakas homered the opposite way in the fifth off Samardzija.
Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth for the Royals, his first big league
appearance since Sept. 28, 2011
TRAINER'S ROOM
WHITE SOX: LHP Chris Sale, who broke his right foot Feb. 27, struck out seven and allowed a run on three hits in seven innings during a minor league game in Arizona. Sale is on target to come off the disabled list Sunday and start against Minnesota.
ROYALS: Gordon, who was limited to 10 exhibition games and hit just .200 in 35 at-bats following right wrist surgery in December, might be given periodic rests early in the season.
WHITE SOX: LHP Jose Quintana is
0-6 in 12 career starts against the Rivals.
UP NEXT
ROYALS: LHP Danny Duffy, who starts Wednesday, has not faced the White Sox since 2011 at Kansas City.
ORLIN WAGNER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas City Royals pitcher Ryan Madson, left, is congratulated by catcher Salvador Perez, right, following a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., yesterday. The Royals defeated the White Sox 10-1.
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