Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Orlando Magic: 5 Keys to a Thunder Victory

In the second of two meetings this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to play the Orlando Magic. While star power is certain to play a role in the Kevin Durant-Dwight Howard showdown, this game could come down to some surprising names.

The first time these two teams met, Ryan Anderson torched the Thunder for 25 points and 10 rebounds on six three-pointers. Dwight Howard, on the other hand, struggled and shot just 4-12 from the floor. He finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds.

On the Thunder's side of things, it was the usual suspects who came up big. Kevin Durant finished with 30 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Russell Westbrook chipped in 14, seven and six. James Harden also scored 19 points with six rebounds, emerging as the only other Thunder player in double-figures.

Tonight, when the venue is switched and the teams meet again, the game is likely to be a little different. Both teams have improved drastically since their opening day matchup, as both sit near the top of their respective divisions.

The Magic are a surprising 23-13, good for third in the Eastern Conference. The Thunder, meanwhile, boast the best record in the NBA.

If the Thunder are to pull out another victory, someone needs to step up. Another game where only three players are in double-figures might not cut it against this improved Orlando unit, which is exactly why I've outlined the five players and matchups who are key to a Thunder victory.

5. Thunder Bench

James Harden has established himself as a reliable scoring option, but outside of him, OKC's bench struggles to score the basketball.

Eric Maynor is lost for the season and his replacement, Reggie Jackson, is talented but inconsistent. Daequan Cook was a reliable scorer, but he's starting in place of the injured Thabo Sefolosha.

Furthermore, the front court reserves are mostly defensive-minded players. They'll need to chip in a few points here and there for the Thunder to pull this one out.

4. Foul Trouble

When you play Dwight Howard, it's inevitable that he's going to see the free throw line on quite a few occasions. While the Thunder managed to hold him to eight free throw attempts the first time around, they're likely to see that number increase tonight.

In order to prevent that from harming them, it's important that they use all five players on the court in fouling him. In doing so, those very players must reserve those fouls for Howard and not the slashing players from the perimeter. If they can do that, there's no reason they can't win comfortably.

3. Kevin Durant vs. Hedo Turkoglu

Kevin Durant is having a MVP-caliber season. Hedo Turkoglu, meanwhile, is quietly posting a noteworthy season of all-around contributions.

While Durant's abilities are well-known amongst NBA fans, Turkoglu is quietly averaging 11.4 points, four rebounds, four assists and two three-pointers a game. While that may not be MVP caliber, that's a contribution in every category, something the Thunder must be aware of.

Durant had a great outing against the Magic the first time around, scoring 30 points on 11-19 shooting. This time, however, he must focus more on the defensive end as Turkoglu is capable of facilitating a dangerous offense.

2. Contain Ryan Anderson

When Ryan Anderson is on, the Magic win. Period.

In games Anderson has scored greater than 20 points, the Magic are 11-2. Luckily for the Thunder, one of those losses came against them.

Nevertheless, they must contain Ryan Anderson. Anderson has become the spark for the Magic's offense as his three-point shots offer major shifts in momentum. Players like Jason Richardson and J.J. Redick often score better when Anderson is on his game.

1. Which Russell Westbrook Will We See?

As great as Russell Westbrook is, there's no denying that there are two sides of him when it comes to his play.

There's the elite player who has the skills to dish out 10 assists on any given evening, thus leading the Thunder to victory and taking pressure off of Kevin Durant. Then, of course, there's the Russell Westbrook who turns the ball over five times and shoots less than 40 percent from the floor. If the Thunder are to win this contest, they need the better one.

Westbrook is averaging a shameful 4.3 turnovers per game this year while posting just 5.5 assists. That's a major drop from the 8.2 he averaged in 2011.

Westbrook needs to improve over his previous performance against the Magic, where he scored 14 points on 6-17 shooting. He also turned the ball over seven times.

Which Russell will we see tonight?