Thunder @ LA Clippers preview (Game 8 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0) @ Los Angeles Clippers (3-3)
  • When: Tuesday, 04 November 2025 at 10:00pm CST
  • Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
  • TV: NBC/Peacock
  • Offensive Rating: LAC: 115.4 (14th) / OKC: 117.3 (8th)
  • Defensive Rating: LAC: 116.0 (20th) / OKC: 104.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating: LAC: -0.7 (19th) / OKC: 13.1 (1st)

The Set-Up

The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking for their best start in franchise history. Previous to this, they started last season 7-0 before they met the Nuggets in Denver and Russell Westbrook posted one of his best games of the season (29 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists). A Peyton Watson block on a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lay-up attempt as time expired allowed the Nuggets to walk away victorious, 124-122. It was definitely a sign of things to come later in the playoffs that season. Last year’s team rode that wave all the way to a franchise record 68 wins and, of course, the team’s first championship in Oklahoma City.

Before that, in the time of, as my 16-year old daughter would put it, “old basketball”, the 2012-13 team started the season 21-4 and the 2013-14 team started 22-4. Those team were led by Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, and the aforementioned Westbrook.

This is the first of three meetings this season between the Thunder and Clippers. Last season, the Thunder swept the season series 4-0, winning by an average of almost 10 points. In total, the Thunder have beat the Clippers five times in a row.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -7.5
  • O/U: 221.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Lu Dort – Questionable (illness)
  • Ajay Mitchell – Questionable (bilateral gluteal contusion)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee – ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (wrist)
  • Jaylin Williams – Questionable (shoulder sprain)
  • Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

LAC

  • Bradley Beal – Questionable (Load Management)
  • Kawhi Leonard – Questionable (Load Management)
  • Jordan Miller – OUT (hamstring)
  • Kobe Sanders – OUT (knee)

Three Big Things

  1. Pace – The Clippers are old. They look old (most of team has gray in their hair or beards). And they play old. The Clippers are the 2nd slowest team in terms of pace. The Thunder aren’t too far behind, ranking in at 26th, but we all know that has more to do with the personnel on the floor and the injuries, than how the team actually wants to play. Once this team has some semblance of health, the transition offense will likely uptick, which will bring up the pace. If the Thunder can look like the team that played against the Pelicans on Sunday, they should be able to use their youth and speed to their advantage.
  2. Force turnovers – The Thunder are elite where the Clippers struggle. The Clippers are 29th in the league in turnovers at 17.8 a game and worst in turnover ratio. The Thunder, on the other hand, are third in the league at forcing turnovers, at 17.4 per game. When they do turn the other team over, they score 23.9 points per game, which is good for 2nd in the league. On the other end of that spectrum, the Clippers do a poor job of getting back on defense once they have turned it over. They are 2nd worst in the NBA in Opponent Points off Turnovers, allowing 23.5 points per game.
  3. SGA –

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