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Chicago Bulls vs. Thunder preview (Game 75 of 82)

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Alex Roig

Chicago Bulls (33-41) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (62-12)
When: Monday, 31 March 2025 at 7:00pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Offensive Rating – CHI: 113.0 (20th) / OKC: 119.1 (4th)
Defensive Rating – CHI: 115.3 (24th) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
Net Rating – CHI: -2.4 (21st) / OKC: 13.0 (1st)

The Set-Up

Ahhh, yes. The Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso trade. Slightly vilified on Chicago’s end early on, but slowly creeping towards being a win/win trade for both teams. After a rough start to the season, Giddey is close to averaging 20/9/8 over the past 2 months. On the flip side of things, Caruso also started off slowly, but is starting to show how valuable he can be for this team as a 3&D player and big time glue guy. Much to the chagrin of basketball Twitter, there are actually trades where it’s a win/win for both teams. Chicago got themselves a point guard to build off of in what is looking like a new rebuild. And OKC got themselves another rotation piece to put around to put around their core three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. OKC is having a historic season, while Chicago is becoming one of the most exciting young teams in the league. Win/Win! Giddey wasn’t going to work in OKC. He and SGA need the ball in their hands and SGA is the better player. It wasn’t Josh’s fault that he was slotted next to an eventual MVP. But in Chicago, he is able to play his brand of basketball and has flourished. I, for one, am happy for him and hope that he continues his great run of late…just not tonight.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between these two teams. The first meeting took place way early in the season, with OKC coming out victorious, 114-95.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -15.5
O/U: 238.5

Injury Report

OKC

Ousmane Dieng – OUT (calf)
Alex Ducas – OUT (quad)
Isaiah Hartenstein – Questionable (hip)
Chet Holmgren – Questionable (hip)
Ajay Mitchell – OUT (toe)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Aaron Wiggins – OUT (Achilles)
Jaylin Williams – Questionable (hip)

CHI
Lonzo Ball – OUT (wrist)
Ayo Dosunmu – OUT (shoulder)
Kevin Huerter – OUT (thumb)
Tre Jones – OUT (foot)
EJ Liddell – OUT (illness)

Three Big Things

1. Since the All-Star Break – While the Thunder have been completely dominant post-ASB, the Chicago Bulls have done a good job of handing the keys off to their players of the future and allowing them to see how they fare against the rest of the league. Giddey, Coby White, and Matas Buzelis have acclimated themselves well to their expanded roles on the team during that time and have allowed for a rosier picture to be painted for a franchise that has been mired in mediocrity for the better part of the past decade. Since the ASB, the Bulls are 11-8 and are 13th in offensive rating, 9th in defensive rating, and 10th in net rating. They are first in pace during that time, 4th in assist/turnover ratio, and 5th in defensive rebound percentage. Over the course of the season, the Bulls have changed the way they play and found a bit of a groove.

2. Pace – As mentioned above, the Bulls lead the league in pace since the All-Star break. Giddey has done a great job of late in grabbing and going, while spraying the ball out to play finishers like Buzelis, White, and Nikola Vucevic. The Thunder are usually the team that likes to run, but this may be a game where they let their halfcourt offense shine. Chicago has done a good job of protecting the ball over this past month and a half, so turnovers may not be in abundant supply in this game.

3. Big Health – With all three centers being game-time decisions today, the matchup against Vucevic may be an interesting one. I doubt all three bigs sit, but if the Thunder are prioritizing health for the playoffs, then Kenrich Williams and Branden Carlson may be the next men up.

Thunder @ Sacramento Kings preview (Game 72 of 82)

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (59-12) at Sacramento Kings (35-36)
When: Tuesday, 25 March 2025 at 9:00PM CST
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Offensive Rating – SAC: 115.7 (7th) / OKC: 118.9 (4th)
Defensive Rating – SAC: 115.1 (20th) / OKC: 106.2 (1st)
Net Rating – SAC: 0.6 (15th) / OKC: 12.7 (1st)

The Set-Up

To understand how dominant the Thunder have been this season, you have to look at things from the perspective of player advanced metrics. When you look at Player Impact Estimate (PIE) and filter it for players who play at least 24 minutes a game, the Thunder have 3 players on that list (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jalen Williams). They are the only team to have three players in the top 35. As far as Offensive Rating, the Thunder have eight players in the top 50 of players who have averaged over 20 minutes a game (SGA, Chet Holmgren, Aaron Wiggins, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, and Dub). Defensively, though, is where they shine. The Thunder have eight players in the top 16 for Defensive Rating for players who have played at least 20 minutes per game. For Net Rating, that number goes 8 players in the top 15. It would almost be an understatement to say this team has been historically good this season.

This is the third meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder have won the first two meetings in convincing fashion, once in Sacramento and once in Oklahoma City. The average margin of victory for the Thunder in those two games was 27.5.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -9.5
O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

Ousmane Dieng – OUT (calf)
Alex Ducas – OUT (quad)
Chet Holmgren – Questionable (hip)
Ajay Mitchell – OUT (toe)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Cason Wallace – Questionable (knee)
Aaron Wiggins – Questionable (Achilles)
Jalen Williams – Questionable (hip)

SAC

Devin Carter – Questionable (illness)
Doug McDermott – Questionable (elbow)
Malik Monk – Questionable (illness)

Three Big Things

Double Big – If Chet Holmgren returns tonight, this will be a good test for the double big lineup. Isaiah Hartenstein should be the Domantas Sabonis assignment, while Holmgren will have to stick onto Keegan Murray. In addition, the Kings can also trot Jonas Valanciunas out there to compete with the Thunder’s size. But as we’ve seen in the past, the Thunder would likely welcome the Valanciunas minutes with open arms.
Perimeter Defense – The Kings are a mid-range oriented team. They score 60.7% of their points from 2-point range (8th in the league) and just 29.3% of their points from 3-point range (23rd in the league). For comparison, the Thunder are league average at 58% of their points coming from 2 and 42% coming from 3. That’s to be expected when two of your main offensive engines are Sabonis and mid-range king DeMar DeRozan. In addition, if Malik Monk plays, he always seems to give the Thunder fits as a microwave scorer.
First to 60 – The Thunder are one of three teams in the league that still have a chance to hit the 60-win mark (Cleveland and Boston are the others). A win tonight gives them the first place ribbon in that race.

Thunder vs. Milwaukee Bucks preview (NBA Cup Final)

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (20-5, 1st in the West) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (14-11, 5th in the East)
When: Tuesday, 17 December 2024 at 7:30pm CST
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Offensive Rating – MIL: 113.6 (11th) / OKC: 115.2 (8th)
Defensive Rating – MIL: 112.3 (13th) / OKC: 103.1 (1st)
Net Rating – MIL: 1.4 (15th) / OKC: 12.1 (1st)

The Set-Up

The Emirates NBA Cup has been fun. I don’t know if I’d be saying the same thing if the Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t in the NBA Cup Finals. But still, it has worked. We monitored those group-play games pretty intensely, especially the last day of group play. And then watched with playoff fervor for the quarterfinal and semifinal games. It’s been competitive. It’s been TV-worthy, It’s been what the NBA envisioned a mid-season, single-elimination tournament would look like. Except it features two small-market teams. As an article on NBA.com pointed out in a preview of the Thunder/Rockets semifinal game, this “may not have been the marquee NBA Cup semifinal the league was hoping for…” The NBA has really done a shit job of featuring their young talent, outside of force feeding everyone Victor Wembanyama.

For the Thunder, the NBA Cup has done exactly what the NBA refused to do for them this season: it’s allowed the national audience to see this team in the brightest of lights. The Thunder forced their way in the national spotlight. The NBA knows they messed up by not putting this team in the Christmas line-up. As consolidation, the NBA flexed the two Thunder v. Cavs match-ups in January to national TV. All the Thunder can do from here on out is force you to watch them.

This is the first, of now, three meetings this season between these two teams. They split their season series last year. Before that, though, Milwaukee had won 5 in a row, dating back to Feb. 2022.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -4.5
O/U: 214.5

Injury Report

OKC

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

MIL

Giannis Antetokounmpo – Probable (knee)
Damian Lillard – Probable (calf)
Khris Middleton – Probable (illness)
Liam Robbins – Questionable (ankle)

Three Big Things

Who guards SGA? – Defensively, the Milwaukee Bucks are not designed to cover someone like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They don’t have any serviceable big-wing defenders. Taurean Prince, Andre Jackson Jr, and Khris Middleton are either too slow, not big enough, or too injured to cover SGA. Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., and AJ Green are barbecue chicken. Milwaukee is probably going to deploy an “everybody keep their eyes on Shai” defense and hope he passes it to someone else for a shot. Look for Jalen Williams to get loose a little in this game.
3-point defense – Weirdly, the 3-point shot has been one of the best offensive engines for the Bucks this season. They are third in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 38.9% and feature two of the top-6 players this season in 3-point percentage (Prince at 51.6% on 3.6 attempts and Green at 47.6% on 5.2 attempts). And there’s always Dame, who can catch fire at any moment. The difficulty in guarding the Bucks is having to choose between team-guarding Giannis or hoping their 3-point shooters have an off-night. Knowing the Thunder, they will roll the dice (VEGAS PUN!) on hoping the Bucks have an off-night from the perimeter.
High-pressure test – This is essentially a neutral site Game 7. Giannis and the Bucks have won a Game 7 in the Finals before. The Thunder are at the beginning of their pressure-filled journey .This will be a good test for them and will give Mark some data-points for future high pressure situations.

Thunder @ Toronto Raptors preview (Game 22 of 82)

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Alex Roig

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

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).
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.
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

Thunder @ Denver Nuggets preview (Game 8 of 82)

Posted on November 6, 2024 by okctopicthunder

OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets: Betting Odds, Game Preview, Keys to Game

Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0) at Denver Nuggets (4-3)
When: Wednesday, 06 November 2024 at 8:00pm CST
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Offensive Rating – DEN: 114.5 (7th) / OKC: 110.9 (19th)
Defensive Rating – DEN: 113.0 (17th) / OKC: 93.8 (1st)
Net Rating – DEN: 1.5 (11th) / OKC: 17.1 (1st)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Oklahoma

The Set-Up

This is the second meeting of the season between these two division rivals. The Thunder won the first game 102-87 behind an incredible (and as we’ve come to expect) defensive effort. The Thunder have now won four straight meetings against the Nuggets dating back to last season.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -7.5
O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (hand)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)
Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

DEN

Vlatko Cancar – Doubtful (ankle)
Aaron Gordon – OUT (calf)
DaRon Holmes II – OUT (Achilles)
Jamal Murray – OUT (concussion protocol)

Three Big Things

Free Throws – Surprisingly, for a team featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder rank dead last in both free throw attempts and makes. If Oklahoma City is trying to emulate Boston’s style of offense, they are forgetting to allow the threat of 3-point shots set-up their ability to drive to the basket. SGA, usually a staple at the top of the drive per game stat, ranks 4th in drives at 19.4 drives per game. The “free throw merchant” is only averaging 5.7 free throw attempts per game in this early going. Jalen Williams is the next highest on the team at 2.6 FTA per game. While this has yet to be an issue for the team, free throw attempts and scoring were a major part of the Thunder’s game plan last season.
Injured Animal – This game is good in testing the Thunder’s psyche. It’s human nature to look at your successes and wonder why you have to keep working so hard if you are going to succeed regardless. The Thunder find themselves facing an injured Denver squad that is missing two of their main components in Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon and likely looking to play in desperation mode in order to keep up in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. An injured animal is a dangerous one…unless the animal on the opposite side has a dangerous mindset also.
Tired Chet – While Chet may be playing less minutes this season, he is shouldering a lot more of the load, especially as the defensive anchor on the best defense in the league. Add to that the fact that both his back-ups (Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams) are both out with injury, and you start to see why Holmgren is looking tired so early in the season. He has to guard the opposing team’s best big and usually, that involves a large discrepancy in mass and strength. He has held his own, don’t get me wrong. But he hasn’t had a chance to breathe early on in this season.

Thunder @ Portland Trailblazers preview (Game 5 of 82)

Posted on November 1, 2024 by okctopicthunder

Oklahoma City Thunder demolish the Portland Trail Blazers by 62 points in record-breaking win | CNN

Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0) at Portland Trailblazers (2-3)
When: Friday, 01 November 2024 at 9:00pm CST
Where: Moda Center, Portland, OR
Offensive Rating – POR: 107.2 (25th) / OKC: 108.5 (23rd)
Defensive Rating – POR: 113.0 (15th) / OKC: 91.3 (1st)
Net Rating – POR: -5.8 (23rd) / OKC: 17.1 (3rd)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Oklahoma

The Set-Up

Trap games. These are the games where a dominant team can get tripped up. We saw it last season. The Thunder head into Detroit for a matinee game on Super Bowl Sunday and get absolutely demolished by the Pistons. Maybe looking ahead. Maybe not respecting the opponent, but it happened. As the Thunder start the season at a blistering pace, especially defensively, these are the types of games where they could get tripped up if they don’t bring it. For great teams, these games can become “meh” games. But for the opponent, this game may be their early season Super Bowl.

This is the first of four meetings this season between these two division rivals. The Thunder swept the season series last year, winning the first two games collectively by 105 points, while then winning the final two meetings by 10 points combined. One game in the 2nd half of the season even necessitated a Jalen Williams game-winner.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -11.5
O/U: 221.5

Injury Report

OKC

Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (hand)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)
Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

POR

Shaedon Sharpe – OUT (shoulder)
Matisse Thybulle – OUT (knee)
Robert Williams III – OUT (hamstring)

Three Big Things

Give and Take – So far this season, the Thunder have absolutely punished teams who turn the ball over. They lead the league in steals and blocks as a team, force the most turnovers in the league, and score 19.4% of their points off of turnovers. Portland, on the other hand, is the 5th worst team at protecting the ball, coughing it up 17 times a game.
Defensive Rebounding – While the Thunder have improved immensely in the rebounding department, the reality is that Chet Holmgren is the only true big that can play currently. Portland trots out a pretty physical big man duo in DeAndre Ayton and rookie Donovan Clingan, while having Jerami Grant at the 4. Portland grabs 13.8 offensive rebounds per game (6th in the league) and score 19 points per game in 2nd-chance points (4th in the league). If there is any facet of the game where Portland may sneak up on the Thunder, it’s in this department.
SGA inefficiency from deep – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled a bit from deep this season. He is currently shooting 27.3% on 8.3 3-point attempts per game. But what about the rest of his game? He’s still shooting 51.8% on 2-point shots and 90.5% from the line. He’s increased his assist numbers, while keeping his turnovers low. He is one of the leaders in stocks on the defensive end. The 3-point shot thing may just be an extension of the preseason. Just trying things out. In fact, Dylan Huntzinger (@Thunderchets on Twitter) lays it all out in a recent article.

Let It Rip: Why you’re probably overreacting about Shai’s 3 ball

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Dylan Huntzinger

We have been blessed as a fanbase to see a superstar blossom right in front of our eyes in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The centerpiece of the Paul George trade, we have watched him go from bench guy, 3rd option, to running the show. And run it, he has.

Over the last four seasons, Shai has led the league in drives per game in three of those four seasons. Shai has boasted the efficiency of a wing player, shooting over 50% from the field and averaging about six free throw attempts per game.

Because of this, the fanbase, and the NBA at large, have associated Shai’s game to three things: driving to the basket, shooting the mid range jumper, and getting to the free throw line.

And he’s been pretty good at it. Averaging over 30 points per game in each of the past two seasons, Shai is widely considered one of the top 5 player in the world and is on the shortlist for MVP for everyone who has a pulse.

So, going into his 7th season, fresh off back to back All-Star appearances, being named a starter in the All-Star game, and being a back to back 1st Team All-NBA recipient, many people think Shai should just stick with what got him there, and leave well enough alone.

But that’s not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

He summed this up in 2021, with a banger of a quote.

“I’m not playing this game just to be a good basketball player. I want to be one of the greatest to ever play.”

He is always adding to his game. Whether it was the stepback, catch and shoot 3, off ball defense, playmaking, etc., Shai has gone into the lab every offseason, and every offseason he comes out acting different.

I imagine him stepping into a lab (for some reason this one I’m picturing in my head has automatic sliding doors) normal Shai, but after some time, when he emerges from the sliding doors, smoke billows out of the room with a green haze in the background, and somewhere, somehow, an organ is playing and angels are singing. Anyways, back to the point.

Is it awesome that he is a top 5 player in the world right now? Absolutely. Would it be easy to just continue what he’s doing now? Absolutely. Could he have similar success doing exactly what he has done the past couple of seasons? Absolutely. (Topic: Thunder listeners have drank themselves into a coma with all the absolutely) BUT, Shai doesn’t want what he already has, Shai isn’t ok with the status quo, Shai doesn’t want to just go through the motions and be remembered as just another good player.

He’s on some Ash Ketchum energy. This dude wants to be the very best, like NO ONE ever was.

So yes, he will continue to add to his game, and we have the fruits of those seeds he planted the offseason (IN THE LAB).

He looks engaged and disruptive when he is playing on ball defense.

His playmaking reads are sharper than ever, and he’s making passes we have never seen him make. Live dribble skip passes from one end of the court to the other, one hand dump offs to a cutter, hitting the roller in stride, hitting the shooters in their pockets; consistently.

But one addition to his game that has been met with uproar and outrage by a large (and troubling) portion of the Thunder fan community, is his increased 3 point shooting volume.

First off, it fits Sam Presti’s ethos to a T. Exploration, and experimentation are the reason you see the roster you see today for the Thunder. Presti has tried things, failed at things, and succeeded at things. All in all, he collected data, learned from his mistakes, enforced his correct decisions, and now we have a juggernaut in Oklahoma City.

It’s not different with Shai. Yes, that dude is and has been unguardable, but if he learns how to shoot high volume, off dribble, pull up 3-pointers, he will become unstoppable.

It adds a new weapon to your offense that opponents have to account for. They can’t build a wall in the paint and dare Shai to shoot middy’s over it. Shai can force them to play him close, and then it’s curtains. Play him to close, he’s blowing by you. Sag off on him just enough, and he’s comfortable and confident to pull that 3 in your eye; without having to first simulate the drive and get to his stepback.

That’s the why he should do this, (which I feel should be fairly obvious?), let’s get into the why now.

It’s simple. We are 4 games into the regular season.

Continue reading →

San Antonio Spurs vs. Thunder Preview (Game 4 of 82)

Posted on October 30, 2024 by okctopicthunder

San Antonio Spurs' Losing Streak Continues in Oklahoma City Thunder Blowout - Sports Illustrated Inside The Spurs, Analysis and More

San Antonio Spurs (1-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0)
When: Wednesday, 30 October 2024 at 8:30pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Offensive Rating – SAS: 108.1 (24th) / OKC: 109.2 (18th)
Defensive Rating – SAS: 114.1 (16th) / OKC: 90.8 (1st)
Net Rating – SAS: -6.0 (22nd) / OKC: 18.4 (2nd)
TV: ESPN

The Set-Up

I don’t want to over-react, but what the Thunder is doing so far this season is historic. Their defense has been exceptionally great. The fact that it hasn’t really mattered that the offense has been average, at best, and they are still beating teams by an average of 19.3 points is amazing to me. The Thunder’s Guard Dawgs (Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace) have caused fits for perimeter players, while Chet Holmgren patrols the paint to the tune of 4 blocks per game (1st in the league) and 13 rebounds per game (3rd in the league). In addition, you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams ball-hawking the passing lanes. If the Thunder’s offense ever jumps into the Top-10, this team could be looking at being historic for margin of victory also.

This is the first of three meetings this season between these two teams. The Thunder won the season series last year 3-1, with an average margin of victory of 33.3 points.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -12.5
O/U: 221.5

Injury Report

OKC

Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (hand)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)
Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

SAS

Tre Jones – OUT (ankle)
Devin Vassell – OUT (foot)

Three Big Things

Chet vs. Wemby – One of the budding rivalries in the league. This had Christmas Day game written all over it. You dropped the ball on that one, Silver. Luckily, all three of the meetings this year are nationally televised games. These two players always get up for this match-up. And rightfully so. This rivalry has the possibility of being an all-timer when it is all said and done between these two. Many of their match-ups last season were cut short by the score of the game, but the one game where the Spurs won, it showed how intense this rivalry could get.
Pace – The Thunder and Spurs find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to pace. Oklahoma City is 3rd in the league, while San Antonio is currently 28th. It’s no surprise when you look at the point guards for each team. That said, Chris Paul is still savvy enough to know how to control the pace and be efficient while doing it. But as long as the Thunder use their defense to jump-start their offense, there should be no reason why this game isn’t in the Thunder’s favor pace-wise.
Jalen Williams – There’s a lot of buzz around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren…and deservedly so. J-Dub, the third part of that triumvirate, has yet to really catch his rhythm this season. As good as he is though, it’s only a matter of time. He showed signs of shaking off his preseason ankle injury in the last game and here’s hoping that continues moving forward.

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

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Alex Roig

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)

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Alex Roig

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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