Author Archives: Alex Roig

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About Alex Roig

Never been a writer. Probably will never be a writer. But always a fan.

Thunder @ Toronto Raptors preview (Game 22 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (16-5) at Toronto Raptors (7-15)
  • When: Thursday, 05 December 2024 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
  • Offensive Rating – TOR: 112.0 (18th) / OKC: 114.7 (8th)
  • Defensive Rating – TOR: 115.0 (22nd) / OKC: 103.9 (1st)
  • Net Rating – TOR: -3.0 (20th) / OKC: 10.8 (1st)

The Set-Up

When I look at the Toronto Raptors, I get a sense of Deja Vu. It’s almost like the Thunder can look at the Raptors and question whether they’ve seen this movie before. A team that had a good run of it (hell, even got a championship out of their window) and then decided they needed to switch into rebuild mode. To make it even more similar, they hired themselves a coach that used to coach the Thunder’s G-League team and was an assistant with the Thunder for several years in Darko Rajakovic. In addition, they decided to stack their cupboard with young players and assets. Sound familiar yet? Well, how about this last little tidbit? The rebuilding Toronto Raptors play hard every game…kind of like the Thunder did when they were coming up several years ago. To the point where, in the East, they may be, dare I say, too good to tank. Even though they are sitting eight games under .500, they are just a game and a half out of the 10th spot in their conference. The Raptors may be rebuilding, but this won’t be an easy game.

This is the first of two meetings this year between these two teams. The Thunder have won 3 of the last 4 meetings dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -9.5
  • O/U: 226.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Ousmane Dieng – OUT (finger)
  • Alex Ducas – OUT (hip)
  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (hip)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
  • Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)

TOR

  • D.J. Carton – GTD (ankle)
  • Ulrich Chomche – GTD (illness)
  • Gradey Dick – GTD (calf)
  • Kelly Olynyk – OUT (back)
  • Jakob Poeltl – GTD (illness)

Three Big Things

  1. Manning The Middle – The Raptors lead the league in points in the paint and are last in the league in percentage of points from the 3-point line. This plays heavily into the Thunder’s defensive plan of attack, as they like to sink in to protect the paint, while flying out to contest 3-point shots. But it’s the Thunder, so you know someone on the Raptors who has struggled shooting from deep has a high possibility of breaking out in this game (here’s looking at Davion Mitchell and his 27.8% 3-point shooting percentage). 
  2. Rebounding – If there is one place where the Raptors may stay in the game with the Thunder, its on the boards. The Raptors are 2nd in the league in rebounding, 4th in total rebounds, 1st in Offensive Rebound percentage, and 3rd in 2nd chance points. Jakob Poeltl and the big wings of Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett do a good job of cleaning up the glass. If there is anything that galvanizes a young team, especially at home, it’s usually 2nd chance points. Hopefully, the Thunder can withstand the minutes where Isaiah Hartenstein is not on the floor. 
  3. Homecoming – It’s always a fun time when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort return back to their home country and show out. It’s even provided SGA with an avenue to breakout his new signature logo as the face of Converse. 
https://twitter.com/CrainNBA/status/1864718571143618570

OKC @ Denver Nuggets Post-game Thoughts (1/82)

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Oklahoma City starts the season with a resounding 102-87 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Here are some post-game thoughts.

  • Thunder’s defense was in mid-season form. Held the Nuggets to 36.5% shooting for the evening. Had 13 blocks and 9 steals, while forcing 15 turnovers. Hands and arms everywhere. Deflections, recovering, bothering the hell out of Jokic. It was a master-class.
  • The Thunder’s depth is going to be a PROBLEM for the league. 
  • This team can flip a switch quickly. They were down 9 at the halfway point of the first quarter. They finished the quarter up by 7. Once the Thunder got their altitude legs under them, it was off an running.
  • Player of the Game: Chet Holmgren – 25 pts, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Just a game full of MF’er energy. His Defensive Player of the Year campaign is off to a great start. Was more physical and banged on the boards, grabbing 14 rebounds (4 of those on the offensive end). Had the play of the game with the denial of Jokic on one end and the hammer on the other end.
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was his great, consistent self. 28 pts, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. MVP! If you want to focus on one play to signify his leadership, look no further than the play in the fourth quarter where Denver threw the ball away over the half-court line and SGA full-on sprinted to the Thunder’s side of the court to get the ball and score a transition lay-up. Mind you, the Thunder were up by 16 at that point with 4 minutes left.
  • Aaron Wiggins messed around and got a shoe deal with Under Armour before the game. Then goes out and starts his own 6th Man of the Year campaign, putting up 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He was a stabilizing force on the floor throughout the game, hitting big buckets at times in the game when the Thunder needed them.
  • Jalen Williams had a quiet game, but he was great in the beginning of the 4th quarter with SGA and Holmgren on the bench. He finished the evening with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Was more of a facilitator this evening, and that’s alright. There will be nights where his scoring is needed and nights, like today, where his ball-handling/facilitation is needed.
  • Check out Alex Caruso’s line: 0 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists….and a team high +19!!!! He was a disruptor the entire evening and was key to spurring the Thunder’s run in the first quarter that put them up for the rest of the game.
  • Mark Daigneault is 2/2 on coach’s challenges so far. He called a great timeout ijn the beginning of the 3rd quarter when Denver came out the gates and put a little run together. After the timeout, the team settled down and coasted from there.

Great start to the season. Next up: At Chicago on Saturday.

Thunder @ Denver Nuggets preview (Game 1 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0) @ Denver Nuggets (0-0)
  • When: Thursday, 24 October 2024 at 8:00pm CST
  • Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
  • TV: TNT

The Set-Up

There hasn’t been a more anticipated season for the Thunder than this upcoming season. You can maybe argue the 2012-13 season where the Thunder were coming off a Finals appearance. Or maybe the 2015-16 season where the team was stacked with talent, but also a ticking timebomb. But for some reason, this season feels different. Maybe it’s the wide-open nature of the league, where a new champ has been crowned the last 6 seasons. Maybe it’s the fact that this feels like the most cohesive and deepest team in Thunder history. Maybe it’s the fact that youth is still on our side and we still have one of the most, if not the most, coveted asset chest in the league. Whatever it is, the vibes are still immaculate, the calendar is starting on a new season, and hope is springing eternal. It’s the first step in the journey. Game 1. Thunder Up!

This is the first of 4 meetings this season between these two division, conference, and possibly, championship-contending rivals. The Thunder won the season series last year 3-1, winning the last three games of the series after getting trounced in their home-opener.

Betting Info

  • Line: DEN -1.5
  • O/U: 227.5

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Thunder vs. Pelicans – Game 4 Adjustments

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  • Series: OKC leads 3-0
  • When: Monday, 29 April 2024 at 7:30pm CST
  • Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
  • TV: NBATV/BallySportsOK (WTF?)

Game 3 Notables

  • New Orleans was held to 28.1% shooting from deep, while OKC registered 47.2% from distance.
  • Lu Dort and Josh Giddey tied for the most 3-points made on either team with 4 each.
  • The Thunder forced 20 turnovers.

Game 4 Adjustments

  1. Close-out Game – This is always the hardest game from a mental standpoint. Take into account that this is the Thunder’s first close-out game under this recent iteration. The only players on the team that have any sort of experience in close-out games are Mike Muscala, Bismack Biyombo, and Gordon Hayward. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort were part of a Game 7 against Houston in the 2020 Bubble, but lost that game in close fashion. Psychologically, the Thunder have to be tougher than ever in order to avoid a let-down due to being up 3-0 in mostly dominant fashion. As we’ve seen in these playoffs, you don’t want to leave anything up to chance. If you can avoid playing games and avoid injuries, you do that if at all possible.
  2. Continue playing your game – There hasn’t been any over the top performances by the Thunder players in this postseason. It’s been a hard-hat and lunch pail approach in these first three games. Force turnovers. Hunt the best shot. Focus defensively on the opponent’s top guys. Block another Trey Murphy III dunk attempt. Listen to the Coach of the Year. Rinse and repeat. Oklahoma City had a plan heading into this series and are executing it flawlessly. Any deviation from this norm could prove to be detrimental.
  3. Watch out for shenanigans – The Pelicans will be in desperation mode. The refs, in an effort to see this series extended, may either allow more than usual contact or may have a quick whistle. Either way, the Thunder will have to be smart about how they defend and will need to keep their cool, which will eventually be tested.
  4. Congratulations to the Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault. – MVP next???
  5. The Ultimate Disrespect – If you are wondering why the Thunder shunned Allie LaForce on the TNT post-game interview after Game 3 in favor of Nick Gallo, look no further than to what is happening tonight. The game tonight will be televised on NBATV….only if you have NBATV and only if you live outside of the OKC and New Orleans viewing area. Unfortunately, if you live in the OKC and NO viewing area and have NBATV, you will be blacked out from watching the game unless you have Bally Sports. If you are blacked out and chose not to get Bally Sports (such as myself), you will have to either illegally stream the game or watch it on a gamecast. This is so wrong, on so many levels. But, hey, we’ll remember that the next time you want to interview the guys and Nick Gallo is standing there waiting.

Thunder vs. Pelicans – Game 3 Adjustments

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  • Series: OKC leads 2-0
  • When: Saturday, 27 April 2024 at 2:30pm CST
  • Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
  • TV: TNT

Game 2 Notables

  • The Thunder’s starting line-up outscored the entire Pelicans team, 108-92, in Game 2.
  • Thunder forced 17 turnovers, while only coughing it up 8 times in Game 2.
  • Pelicans are shooting 26.7% from three in the series, so far. OKC is shooting 39.3% from three.

Game 3 Adjustments

  1. Prepare for the zone – There was a point in the 2nd quarter of Game 2 where the Pelicans were looking for something to get them back in the game and deployed a zone. The zone has given the Thunder fits all season and it allowed the Pelicans to cut an 18-point lead to single digits. The Thunder adjusted by putting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of the key and allowing him to hunt for avenues to get into the teeth of the defense. After a couple successful trips down the floor, the Pelicans reverted back to their more traditional defense and the zone wasn’t deployed again. With that said, you can bet the Pelicans will look at film and try to explore ways to successfully deploy the zone again.
  2. Survive the initial onslaught – First road game for this team in the playoffs. There are bound to be nerves. It is almost inevitable that the Pelicans will get out to a quick start in either one or both of these next two games. Lucky for the Thunder, they’ve done the whole “get down early and eventually come back” thing throughout the entire season.
  3. Adjust to the referees – The refs shouldn’t be affected by what players and coaches say after games. But refs are humans and they do watch games and replays after games. Did the Thunder flop on every one of the 8 offensive fouls that were called on the Pelicans in Game 2? No. Did they flop on some? (Kevin James with hands in pocket meme) I would bet my house the Pelicans don’t get called for 8 offensive fouls in a game the rest of the series. I would also bet something of value, but not as much as my house, that OKC will get hit with a flopping call sometime in these next couple of games.
  4. Trey Murphy III – They say the 3-point shot is the great equalizer in basketball. For the Pelicans to have any chance in this series, they are going to have to find a way to get Murphy III more clean looks from three. That is what the Thunder have to prevent in New Orleans. Game 1 showed that New Orleans could “hang” with the Thunder if Murphy is being a threat. But in game 2, with Murphy completed muted, the Thunder were able to play a lot more freely defensively and blow the Pelicans out.

Pelicans vs. Thunder – Game 2 Adjustments

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  • Series: OKC leads 1-0
  • When: Wednesday, 24 April 2024 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: TNT

Game 1 Notables

  • Pelicans shot 1/15 on corner 3’s, Thunder shot 3/10 from the same area.
  • Pelicans beat the Thunder 24-11 on 2nd chance points
  • Thunder beat the Pelicans 20-7 on fast break points.

Game 2 Adjustments

  1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – SGA had an okay game, by his standards. He scored 28 points, but was inefficient, shooting 46% from the field and 0 of 3 from deep. For the first three quarters of the game, SGA had 0 turnovers. In the fourth quarter, he had 3 HUGE turnovers. Additionally, three of SGA’s shots were blocked. Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was the fact that the Pelicans’ defense was focused almost entirely on Shai. Maybe (hopefully) it was just a one-off. For game 2, I would like to see a more decisive Shai. Instead of stopping 8 feet from the basket to pump-fake and pivot in order to get Herb Jones or Trey Murphy III in the air, keep driving to the basket and force the refs to blow the whistle. More pick and roll action may be needed to get certain match-ups that are more geared towards SGA’s liking. When Jose Alvarado is in the game, that is the match-up that needs to be hunted. Same with CJ McCollum.
  2. Trey Murphy – The Thunder cannot allow Murphy III to shoot that many threes. He almost single-handedly kept the Pelicans in the game when the Thunder made their runs. Murphy has the possibility of being the Pelicans’ best player in this series. The Thunder need to treat him as such.
  3. Progress to the mean – Game 1 is entirely different if either team shoots closer to their regular season averages. I have more faith that Oklahoma City can reach those number when compared to New Orleans. Not only was the corner shooting atrocious for both teams, but the points in the paint were inefficient also. It’s a make or miss league, so hopefully making more tonight will lead to a Thunder victory.
  4. Stop being loud on Thunder player free throws (BONUS) – Listen, I get it. SGA is our MVP and we want him to know how much we appreciate him. But, if we are loudly chanting “MVP” on first quarter free throws, I think it can throw anyone off their rhythm a bit. No one wants to miss the free throws where people are chanting “MVP” for them. Let’s wait until we are up by 8 with 22 seconds left to chant “MVP” then. Our guys will get enough distractions on their free throws when they hit the road.

Western Conference Play-In Preview

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Last season, the play-in tournament had huge significance for the Oklahoma City Thunder because they were in it. The 40-42 Thunder went into the play-in as the 10th seed, facing the New Orleans Pelicans in the 9/10 match-up. The good guys won a close game, 123-118, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Lu Dort combined to score 90 points. Next up, they faced the loser of the 7/8 match-up, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The size of Minnesota overwhelmed the Thunder and they bowed out of the tournament after a 120-95 loss.

Fast forward nearly a year later, and the play-in tournament this season still has huge significance for the Thunder…but for different reasons. Instead of being participants, the Thunder are now at the top of the West, waiting to see who they will face in the first round. Here’s a look at the two play-in games and how the teams in them match-up against themselves.

Game 1 (7/8 match-up) – Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans

  • When: Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

Season Series: Lakers won the season series 3-1

  • Dec. 7th – 133-89 (Los Angeles)
  • Dec. 31st – 129-109 (New Orleans)
  • Feb. 9th – 139-122 (Los Angeles)
  • Apr. 14th – 124-118 (Los Angeles)

The Set-Up

It may not seem like it, but this match-up has been brewing for a while now. If you remember back to the In-Season Tournament semi-finals in December, LeBron James and the Lakers completely embarrassed Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. The reactions after this game were peak “does Zion even care?” and “does Zion want to play in New Orleans?”. Since that game, though, Williamson has taken it upon himself to get into better shape and to add more wrinkles to his game (point Zion). The Pelicans put together a good run in the second half of the season, but fell apart a little at the end due to Brandon Ingram’s injury. Ingram returned for the season finale against the Lakers, but the Pelicans lost and they plummeted to the 7th seed behind Phoenix.

Game 2 (9/10 match-up) – Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings

  • When: Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA

Season Series: Series tied 2-2, but Sacramento won the tie-breaker due to a better division record

  • Oct. 27th – 122-114 (Golden State)
  • Nov. 1st – 102-101 (Golden State)
  • Nov. 28th – 124-123 (Sacramento)
  • Jan. 25th – 134-133 (Sacramento)

The Set-Up

The NBA has to be salivating with these West play-in games. Not only did the Warriors and Kings match-up in one of the more memorable series in last season’s playoffs, but they’ve also had 3 consecutive meetings this year decided by one point. This game is literally “win or go home”. Does this game put the final nail in the Warriors’ coffin? Or does Sacramento go into an offseason with a plethora of questions after seemingly being on the path to contention? Whatever the result, it definitely makes for must-see TV. You can bet the Thunder will be watching.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Thunder preview (Game 82 of 82)

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Dallas Mavericks (50-31, 5th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (56-25, 1st in the West)

When: Sunday, 14 April 2024 at 2:30pm CST

Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Offensive Rating – DAL: 117.4 (7th) / OKC: 118.2 (4th)

Defensive Rating – DAL: 114.7 (16th) / OKC: 111.4 (4th)

Net Rating – DAL: 2.7 (11th) / OKC: 6.8 (2nd)

The Set-Up

In a recent interview, Thunder head coach talked about the team’s philosophy on sustained success as “stringing days together”. To start each day with a 0-0 mentality and go from there. That type of thinking has permeated through the entire team and this is where they find themselves: on the brink of being the No. 1 seed in the West. If for nothing else, that should make coach Daigneault the Coach of the Year this season.

This is the fourth and final regular season meeting between these two teams. The Thunder currently lead the season series 2-1.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -19.5

O/U: 225

Injury Report

OKC

None

DAL

Greg Brown III – OUT

Luka Doncic – OUT

Dante Exum – OUT

Daniel Gafford – OUT

Kyrie Irving – OUT

Derrick Jones Jr. – OUT

Maxi Kleber – OUT

Dereck Lively II – OUT

P.J. Washington – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. 1. Stay Healthy – The most important thing heading into the playoffs is health. DON’T GET HURT!
  2. Scoreboard Watching – The only way we get screwed over is if Denver loses. If we win and Denver wins, the Thunder end up at one. Supposedly, Denver is looking to play most of their guys. So we shall see.
  3. Reflective – Be proud of our guys. This young team has played with a maturity beyond their years. Hopefully, great things incoming for this team.
  4. Happy birthday, J-Dub!!!!

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Thunder preview (Game 81 of 82)

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  • Milwaukee Bucks (49-31, 2nd in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (55-25, 3rd in the West)
  • When: Friday, 12 April 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – MIL: 118.0 (5th) / OKC: 118.1 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – MIL: 114.9 (18th) / OKC: 111.5 (4th)
  • Net Rating – MIL: 3.2 (8th) / OKC: 6.6 (2nd)

The Set-Up

The Play-In tournament is working. Even though the post-season participants have been known for a while now, the positioning of the majority of those teams is still in the air. And that makes games in April matter. Whether it’s trying to avoid the 9/10 game or trying to avoid the play-in games altogether, most teams are still playing with fervor with 1-2 games left to play. That was basically unheard of in years past. April games were very similar to summer league games, where NBA hopefuls and team developmental players would get their opportunity to shine. Now we are still seeing guys like LeBron and Steph battle it out trying to move up out of the 9/10 game. It makes for a fun 82-game season, instead of the usual 75-game season plus 7-game G-League showcase at the end of the season.

This is the 2nd and final meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder were soundly defeated by the Bucks in late March by a score of 118-93. A game in which the Thunder likely played their worst third quarter of the season, getting outscored 34-17 and shooting just 24% from the field for those 12 minutes.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -14.5
  • O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Josh Giddey (hip) – Questionable

MIL

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) – OUT
  • AJ Green (ankle) – OUT
  • Damian Lillard (adductor) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Playoff Seeding – Milwaukee and OKC find themselves in similar situations when it comes to playoff seeding. OKC still has the opportunity to get the No. 1 seed in the West, but would need a divine miracle for the Nuggets to lose to both the Spurs and Grizzlies in their last two games of the season. The battle for No. 2 and 3 likely hinges on how serious the Thunder and Timberwolves take these last two games. Both teams are tied as far as record is concerned, but Minnesota holds the tie-breaker due to their better conference record. Minnesota plays Atlanta, who is already locked into the 10th seed in the East, and Phoenix, who could still be battling for the 6th seed in the West. OKC plays Milwaukee, who is still battling for the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the East, and Dallas, who is basically locked into the 5th seed in the West. OKC would need to win out and hope Minnesota loses one of their last two games in order to secure the 2nd seed.
  2. SGA – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played with so much vigor since he returned from a 4-game absence due to a quad injury. In the two games he’s played (on a back to back, at that), SGA has averaged 33 points, 7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2 stocks on 54/50/84 shooting splits. That burst with zero hesitation on the drives is back. And so is the swag of the team. When Sacramento had the Thunder down by 20 in the first half on Tuesday, you just had the feeling that SGA would will the Thunder back. When he is on, the Thunder have a different feel about them.
  3. Bobby “Michael Jordan” Portis – For the season, Bobby Portis is averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. But for some reason, in the seven games Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed, Bobby Portis turns into Robert Portis with a grown man game. In those seven games, Portis averages 23.7 points and 10.4 rebounds. Here’s hoping he has a Bobby Portis game and not a Robert Portis game.

Houston Rockets vs. Thunder preview (Game 72 of 82)

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  • Houston Rockets (36-35, 11th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (50-21, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Wednesday, 27 March 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – HOU: 113.7 (19th) / OKC: 118.7 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – HOU: 112.1 (8th) / OKC: 111.4 (5th)
  • Net Rating – HOU: 1.6 (15th) / OKC: 7.3 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Sometimes, a tough, hard-fought victory is exactly what the doctor ordered. Last night’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans is exactly the kind of gritty, grind-it-out game that the Thunder needed to win to feel good about themselves. Even though they have gone 8-2 over their last 10, the losses have felt almost disastrous and the wins have felt “meh”. It was good knowing that the Thunder didn’t have to play their best in order to win in a playoff environment.

This is the fourth and final meeting this season between these two teams. The Rockets won the first meeting early in December, 110-101. The Thunder returned the favor on back to back nights in late February, winning 123-110 and 112-95, respectively.

Magic Numbers

  • To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 0 (Locked In)
  • To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 3
  • To lock up the 4th seed (homecourt advantage in the first round guaranteed) – 6

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -6.5
  • O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quad) – Day to Day

HOU

  • Steven Adams (knee) – OUT
  • Tari Eason (lower leg) – OUT
  • Alperen Sengun (ankle) – OUT
  • Cam Whitmore (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Transition Offense vs. Transition Defense – The Thunder love to get out on the break and run. They are first in the league in points off turnovers and 7th in fast break points. The young legs on the team love to get up and down the floor. However, Houston is probably the best transition defense in the league. The Rockets allow the third fewest points off turnovers and are first in defending fast break points.
  2. Hot Team Extinguishers – The Thunder always seem to get teams when they are playing their best. In December, they faced a Clippers team that had found it’s groove after the James Harden trade and came into OKC on a 9-game winning streak. The result: a 134-115 OKC victory. There was a run of 13 games for Denver in December, where they went 11-2, with the two losses coming at the hands of the Thunder. In January, the Boston Celtics came into OKC having won 11 of their last 12 games. The result: a 127-123 OKC victory. Tonight, the Rockets come into OKC on a 9-game winning streak. Here’s hoping the Thunder aren’t too beat up or tired from last night’s tough game.
  3. Ewing Theory – Since Alperen Sengun went down 7 games ago, certain players on the Rockets have stepped up in big ways. In that same span, Jalen Green and Jock Landale have net ratings of 24.2 and 24.5, respectively. Green, especially, has seen a huge leap in production as the former No. 2 pick looks like he’s starting to live up to his lofty billing. In the last 10 games, Green is averaging 27.6 points on 50/43/78 shooting splits. His true shooting is in the mid 60’s and his usage is up to 30 during that time. Londale has allowed Houston to play a more modern style due to his ability to step out and hit 3’s. In his last 10 games, Landale is shooting 55.6% from deep.