Thunder's Season Could Come Down To Sunday

The Thunder and Pelicans are neck and neck, but Sunday's games could be what separates the two.<br/>

Friday, April 10th 2015, 11:23 pm

By: News 9

Thunder's Season Could Come Down To Sunday

The race for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference Playoffs couldn't possibly be closer.

The Thunder and Pelicans entered play on Friday with identical 42-36 records, each with four games remaining to settle the score. The X-factor in all of this is that the Pelicans own the head-to-head tiebreaker against Oklahoma City, so if the two teams end up with the same final record, New Orleans would off to face the Warriors in the playoffs, while the Thunder would be counting their ping pong balls.

Friday presented at least a decent opportunity for the Thunder to get the leg up on New Orleans. The Pelicans faced the capable Suns, while OKC drew the hapless and banged-up Sacramento Kings.

But New Orleans showed Phoenix no mercy in a 90-75 drubbing. Despite losing Anthony Davis for a long stretch of Friday's game, the Pelicans suffocated the Suns for all four quarters.

That solidified that the Thunder's game against Sacramento was a complete and total must-win, which, honestly, it probably was already. And despite having lost six of seven coming in, the Thunder took control early and never let up in a 116-103 romp. Russell Westbrook dominated again with 27 points and 10 assists, Enes Kanter dropped 25 points for what feels like the 500th straight game (it's not, he's just really good) and Dion Waiters poured in a surprising 22.

The Kings, playing without DeMarcus Cousins and others, gave it a good run, but at the end of the day, just aren't any good.

The Thunder didn't make the playoffs on Friday. In fact, they didn't necessarily even take a step closer. Oklahoma City simply didn't eliminate itself, and for now, that's all that matters.

While Friday was simply a keep-hope-alive kind of night, Sunday could be a lot different. OKC heads to Indianapolis to face a desperate Pacers team that's looking to claw its way into the eighth spot in the JV league. Also Sunday, New Orleans travels to Houston. The Rockets are in a four-team race for the No. 2 seed, so you can bet they'll be motivated to win that.

Oklahoma City is better than Indiana. New Orleans isn't as good as Houston. If OKC is going to leapfrog the Pelicans, it'll need a “we win, they lose” type night, and Sunday might be the one.

OKC's remaining schedule is a lot easier than that of New Orleans. Each team faces the Timberwolves, but the Thunder gets Indy and an ailing Portland club while the Pels have to play Houston and San Antonio.

More often than not, pedigree wins out in these types of situations. There's no stat to back that up, but we all know it's true. Programs that are used to success this time of year typically find a way over programs that aren't.

It's the same reason that just a few weeks ago, down four in the second half, Duke, a school with 16 Final Four trips, found a way to beat Gonzaga, a school with zero. It's the same reason that, in a National Championship setting, “underdog” Urban Meyer and an Ohio State program with eight rings beat an Oregon program with zero rings.

Teams that expect to accomplish goals often fare better than teams that hope to accomplish them.

Oklahoma City has won 33 playoff games since the last time New Orleans even played in one. The Thunder expects to be there again, but if that's gonna happen, Sunday will have to swing their way.