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Pelicans vs. Thunder – Game 2 Adjustments

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Alex Roig

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

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.
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.
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.
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

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Alex Roig

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)

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Alex Roig

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. Stay Healthy – The most important thing heading into the playoffs is health. DON’T GET HURT!
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.
Reflective – Be proud of our guys. This young team has played with a maturity beyond their years. Hopefully, great things incoming for this team.
Happy birthday, J-Dub!!!!

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

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Alex Roig

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

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.
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.
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)

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Alex Roig

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

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.
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.
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.

Thunder @ New Orleans Pelicans preview (Game 71 of 82)

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (49-21, 2nd in the West) @ New Orleans Pelicans (44-27, 4th in the West)
When: Tuesday, 26 March 2024 at 7:00pm CST
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Offensive Rating – NO: 117.0 (10th) / OKC: 118.6 (5th)
Defensive Rating – NO: 111.4 (6th) / OKC: 111.4 (5th)
Net Rating – NO: 5.6 (4th) / OKC: 7.3 (2nd)

The Set-Up

For months, the big four in the Western Conference has been the Thunder, the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, and the Clippers. It was almost a forgone conclusion that those would be the top-4 seeds in the West. But lo and behold, a challenger has arisen from the Gulf Coast. For much of the first half of the season, New Orleans’ season was viewed as a disappointment. Injuries to key contributors like Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado had sapped a lot of the depth the Pelicans had. Zion Williamson was once again fighting the battle of the bulge…and losing. The turning point in the season for Zion (and for the Pelicans) was an embarrassing 133-89 loss to the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinals that saw Zion get outscored, outworked, and outclassed by LeBron James.

Since then, New Orleans has gone 32-16 and Zion has reworked his game and his body to become his most optimal self. Williamson is noticeably slimmer than he was earlier in the season and his game has transformed itself into more of a point-Zion trajectory. He handles the ball more off boards and is second on the team in assists per game. The lost weight has allowed Zion to look more like Duke Zion and has made him a force to be reckoned with anytime he is remotely close to the basket.

This is the third and final meeting of the season between these two teams. On November 1st, Oklahoma City squandered an early 22-point lead in the first game to end up on the losing end of things, 106-110. The Thunder returned the favor in late January, handling the Pelicans easily in New Orleans, 107-83.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 0 (Locked In)
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 5

Betting Info

Line: OKC -1.5
O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

None

Dyson Daniels (knee) – OUT
Brandon Ingram (knee) – OUT

Three Keys Things

Rebounding – I know, I know. The Thunder have gotten better at rebounding in the 2nd half of the season. And, yes, the Thunder have slowly proven that if they can beat you at nearly every other aspect of the game, the rebounding becomes a moot point. But against a team like New Orleans, those 2nd chance points can tilt the game in their favor. The Pelicans are a top-10 team in 2nd chance scoring and the Thunder, of course, are still one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. Jonas Valanciunas has always terrorized the Thunder on the boards and tonight should be no different. It’s making sure that the Pelicans don’t make the Thunder pay on those 2nd chance opportunities.
SGA – Ever since the MVP discussion has gotten louder, SGA’s game has, unfortunately, petered off. Be it fatigue, wear & tear, injury, how teams are defending him, or all of the above, SGA just doesn’t feel like he has the same gear as he did pre-ASB. Hopefully it’s just a slump and he can work himself out of it. Many people forget that Jokic went through an early season slump that had many asking if he was out of shape from the celebratory off-season. Every player goes through periods like this. It just so happens that it’s louder for SGA because of where we’re at in the season.
Prime-time Match-Up – Despite New Orleans’ slow start to the season, they’ve been one of the best teams in the league over the past 2 months. And the Thunder have been about as consistent as they come. As we head into the playoffs, these are the types of match-ups that can serve as “canaries in the coal mine” to see where the Thunder are mentally heading into their first postseason as a collective.

Indiana Pacers vs. Thunder preview (Game 65 of 82)

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Alex Roig

Indiana Pacers (36-29, 7th in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (45-19, 1st in the West)
When: Tuesday, 12 March 2024 at 7:00pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Offensive Rating – IND: 120.1 (2nd) / OKC: 119.1 (3rd)
Defensive Rating – IND: 118.5 (25th) / OKC: 111.3 (4th)
Net Rating – IND: 1.5 (12th) / OKC: 7.9 (2nd)

The Set-Up

This is the first of two meetings this season between these two teams. Their next and final meeting is on April 5th.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 8
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 11

Betting Info

Line: OKC -6.5
O/U: 240.5

Injury Report

OKC

Jalen Williams (ankle) – Questionable

IND

Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) – OUT
Doug McDermott (calf) – OUT

Three Big Things

High Scoring Affair – These are two of the top offenses in the league. If there is a team that is the modern version of the “7 Seconds or Less” Suns, it’s the Indiana Pacers. They are 2nd in the league in pace and lead the league in Effective FG%, field goals made, and points in the paint. Their offensive system is top-notch. To slow this down, the Thunder may need to do something they aren’t accustomed to: they may need to slow the pace down themselves. Muddy the game a bit and have Indiana play in slosh.
Attack the Paint – The Pacers’ Achilles heel is their interior defense. It’s bad. Like, Washington Wizards bad. The Pacers allow the 2nd most points in the paint, ahead of the Wizards by just a tenth of a point. The Thunder, meanwhile, are the 8th best team at scoring in the paint. Methinks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may find himself in the painted area a lot this game.
Statement Game – Speaking of the aforementioned SGA, Nikola Jokic is making a late-season push to distance himself from SGA in the MVP race. The Nuggets are 9-1 in the 10 games since the All-Star break and Joker is putting up monster triple-doubles seemingly every game. At this point, with the narrative going around, keeping OKC in the top spot in the West may not be enough to win SGA the MVP. That trophy is usually won by magical moments, especially late in the season. For as great as SGA’s consistency is, his lack of an explosive game here or there, may be hurting his MVP campaign. I know, I know…”what more do you want him to do?” But the reality is that statement games matter in the MVP races.

Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers preview (Game 61 of 82)

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (42-18, 1st in the West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (33-29, 10th in the West)
When: Monday, 04 March 2024 at 9:30pm CST
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Offensive Rating – LAL: 114.7 (17th) / OKC: 119.3 (3rd)
Defensive Rating – LAL: 115.3 (17th) / OKC: 111.4 (4th)
Net Rating – LAL: -0.6 (19th) / OKC: 8.0 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Back at the top. While the Thunder have been battling for the top stop the entire season, they haven’t really done that great of a job of holding on to the title when they get it. Tonight presents another opportunity to hold on to 1st place in the Western Conference. But a loss tonight, coupled with a likely Minnesota victory (they play Portland), could knock OKC back to #2, sitting tied with Denver in the standings. Luckily, OKC owns the tiebreaker with Denver and would get the higher seeding.

This is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between these two teams. The Thunder won the first meeting 133-110 in OKC in late November. The Lakers returned the favor a couple weeks later, again in OKC, winning 129-120. The Lakers then beat OKC in Los Angeles in January, 112-105.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 12
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 16

Betting Info

Line: OKC -1.5
O/U: 238.5

Injury Report

OKC

Jaylin Williams (knee) – Day to Day

LAL

Colin Castleton (wrist) – OUT
Anthony Davis (achilles) – Probable
LeBron James (ankle) – Questionable
Cam Reddish (ankle) – Probable
Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) – OUT
Gabe Vincent (knee) – OUT
Christian Wood (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

Physicality – It’s funny because there are a lot of things that OKC and the Lakers do very similarly, despite the difference in their records. They are both poor rebounding teams who push the pace and shoot efficiently. Where they differ is in the amount of physicality the players are able to exert. LeBron James has game worn jerseys that are older than some of the players on the Thunder. Chet Holmgren was 10 years old when Anthony Davis started his career. It will be on the Thunder’s young core to either be quicker than the Lakers for the majority of the game or be purposefully more physical than the Lakers.
Get in transition – The Lakers are the 5th worst team at stopping fast break points. The Thunder generate a lot of their offense in transition. It would benefit them to get fast break opportunities throughout the game and take advantage of them.
Pack the paint – The Lakers are the worst team at generating points from the 3-point line. They score 55.1% of their points from 2-point territory (2nd in the league) and only 29.2% of their points from deep. The Thunder’s defensive scheme plays into this.

Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs preview (Game 59 of 82)

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (41-17, 2nd in the West) @ San Antonio Spurs (11-48, 15th in the West)
When: Thursday, 29 February 2024 at 7:30pm CST
Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Offensive Rating – SAS: 109.0 (27th) / OKC: 119.4 (3rd)
Defensive Rating – SAS: 117.5 (24th) / OKC: 111.1 (4th)
Net Rating – SAS: -8.5 (27th) / OKC: 8.4 (2nd)

The Set-Up

It’s scary how quickly this team has gotten good. The previous iteration of the Thunder with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were great because those two players were top-5 players in the league and their combined talent overwhelmed most teams. Their major flaw was the scheme, both offensively and defensively, around them. As they got into the playoffs, elite coaches could scheme against the lack of options on the team once you got past those first two players.

What we are seeing with this new version of the good Thunder is that while the top 2-3 players on the team aren’t yet on par with prime level KD and Russ, the scheme around them allows more leeway, not only for the big 3, but also the supporting cast. While both teams fielded talented players, this team has great coaching on its side. And the scary part is Coach Daigneault is still learning.

This is the 3rd of four meetings this season between the Spurs and Thunder. Oklahoma City has won the previous two by 36 and 26 points, respectively. They meet for the final time in April.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 15
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 17

Betting Info

Line: OKC -11.5
O/U: 236.5

Injury Report

OKC

None

SAS

Marcus Morris Sr. (Not With Team) – OUT
Charles Bassey (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

Track Meet potential – Both of these teams are top-10 in Pace and in Fastbreak Points, which makes sense with both being two of the youngest teams in the league. The difference is on the defensive end where Oklahoma City is the 3rd best team at defending in transition, whereas San Antonio, is the 11th worst.
The Chet vs. Wemby match-up – The first four minutes of the fourth quarter in their last game was a glimpse into what most fans want to see from these two. The battling, the shit-talking, the snarls, the passive-aggressiveness, the “calling for the ball”. But here’s the reality: that doesn’t happen if OKC isn’t up by 24 heading into the final quarter. The Thunder coaching staff wouldn’t have allowed it and Chet wouldn’t have allowed himself to get lured into a detrimental one on one match-up in the middle of a tight game. While both players are highly competitiveness, I think Chet has a slight leg up in the maturity department. With all that said, though, Chet has been on a tear since the All-Star break and it would be awesome to see him have a great statistical game against Wembanyama.
Turn them over – The Spurs turn the ball over a ton and the Thunder create a ton of turnovers. Sounds like a match-up that will favor the Thunder.

Houston Rockets vs. Thunder preview (Game 58 of 82)

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Alex Roig

Houston Rockets (25-32, 12th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-17, 2nd in the West)
When: Tuesday, 27 February 2024 at 9:00pm CST
Where: PayCom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Offensive Rating – HOU: 112.8 (24th) / OKC: 119.6 (3rd)
Defensive Rating – HOU: 112.8 (8th) / OKC: 111.4 (4th)
Net Rating – HOU: -0.1 (18th) / OKC: 8.2 (2nd)

The Set-Up

I’ve never solved the puzzle that is the Rubik Cube. I try and then eventually just give up. And I’ve never really done a deep dive into how to solve it either. But to some people, the Rubik Cube became an obsession. They researched it, spoke to people who had solved it before, and kept trying. Eventually, they figured the trick to the Cube and solved it. Now, you have people that can solve a Rubik Cube in less than a minute.

This season has been a lot like the solving of the Rubik Cube for the Thunder. Some teams flummoxed OKC early on, but through research (game film) and speaking with experts (Coach Daigneault), the Thunder have begun to figure teams out. Denver completely demolished the Thunder early in the season. Then the Thunder won the next three. Sacramento has given OKC issues for the past few seasons. The Thunder now seem to have figured that puzzle out. Houston plays like world-beaters every time their opponent has OKC written on their jersey. The Thunder turned a 16-point deficit into a 13-point victory on Sunday. Here’s hoping the puzzle of bad starts against Houston gets solved tonight.

This is the third of four meetings this season between these two teams. Houston dominated OKC in their first meeting in Houston, winning 110-101 (it wasn’t that close). OKC returned the favor on Sunday, winning 123-110. Their final meeting of the season will be on March 27th.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 16
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 19

Betting Info

Line: OKC -9.5
O/U: 235.5

Injury Report

OKC

None

HOU

Steven Adams (knee) – OUT
Tari Eason (lower leg) – OUT

Three Big Things

The Josh Giddey conundrum – The Houston Rockets were the first team this season to really lean on the “put the center on Giddey and let them roam” defense that OKC has been seeing over the past two months. In Sunday’s game, the Thunder involved Giddey in a lot more action around the floor (pick and rolls, off-ball action, etc) to cause the defense to react to the movement. The beautiful thing about a home and home is that it almost has the feel of a playoff series where adjustments are made from game to game. It will be interesting to see how Houston adjusts to OKC putting Giddey in motion on the offensive end.
Attack the paint – Houston has prioritized in long-winged perimeter defenders such as Tari Eason, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, and Amen Thompson. Where they lack is on the interior. While it may be a chore in getting into the paint, once they arrive, there isn’t much stopping from getting to the rim. For as good as Alperen Sengun has been on the offensive end, the defensive struggles are starting to become more and more apparent with every passing day.
Gordon Hayward – While it has looked a little clunky, I think the Hayward trade will turn out to be very successful for the Thunder. He has yet to take a three in the three games he has played with OKC. That means one of two things for me: either Hayward is still figuring out where on the floor to be in order to compliment OKC’s big 3 or defenders are staying closer to Hayward than they would someone like, oh, I don’t know, Josh Giddey, and giving the big 3 more space to operate. I’m calling my shot: Hayward hits two 3-pointers tonight.