Even 2011 Preakness betting players have an eye on the NBA playoffs, and now that the Los Angeles Lakers are out, the Western Conference will be won by either Dallas, who swept the Lakers, or Oklahoma City, who many feel are going to dominate the conference for a long time if they can keep their core together. Here is a look at five matchups to watch during this series. 1. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Serge Ibaka Nowitzki is averaging 26.5 points, which is fourth in the playoffs, but he’s doing it efficiently, hitting 49.7% of his total shots and 60% from beyond the arc. Ibaka is leading the postseason with 3.6 blocks, and is coming off a tough series against Memphis’ Zach Randolph. The Dallas star did much of the same against the Thunder, hitting almost 62% of his shots despite missing a game, and Ibaka has to step it up against Nowitzki. 2. Kevin Durant vs. Shawn Marion If Durant were a hockey player, he’d be one of the NHL scoring leaders, and he paces the NBA playoffs with 29.8 points after leading in the regular season, and he’s excellent at home. He averaged 29.3 points against the Mavericks in the regular season, and Marion is going to have his hands full against Durant, who is 11 years younger. The thing is, there is no one else in Dallas that can guard Durant. 3. Russell Westbrook vs. ??????? Speaking of unguardable, Westbrook is eighth in scoring, although his shot selection leaves something to be desired and he leads the postseason in turnovers. But who in Dallas is going to guard him? Jason Terry may be the best choice, and he’s hardly a great defender. J.J. Barea may get some extra minutes after a great performance against the Lakers, because if Jason Kidd is left to guard Westbrook, it won’t be pretty. 4. Tyson Chandler vs. Kendrick Perkins Both teams picked up these two (Chandler prior to the season, Perkins at the trade deadline) in order to compete with the Lakers’ size, but it works out well that the Thunder acquired Perkins because Chandler dominated them on the boards during the regular season, snagging 15.3 rebounds. Perkins may look more like a character on Smackdown Raw than a basketball player, but he brings toughness and championship experience to this young team, and they’ll need him against Dallas. 5. The Bench While the starters are obviously the stars on these teams, their chances of winning go way up when the benches play well. Terry powers the Dallas bench, but Barea was great against the Lakers, as was Peja Stojakovic. James Harden is the main man coming off the pine for the Thunder, but Nick Collison and Eric Maynor have had some big games in the playoffs as well. Whoever gets the upper hand here, will probably have an edge in your online sportsbook.
