Thunder @ New Orleans Pelicans preview (Game 45 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (31-13, 2nd in the West) @ New Orleans Pelicans (26-18, 6th in the West)
  • When: Friday, 26 January 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
  • Offensive Rating – NO: 117.9 (8th) / OKC: 119.9 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – NO: 112.7 (8th) / OKC: 111.6 (4th)
  • Net Rating – NO: 5.2 (7th) / OKC: 8.3 (2nd)

The Set-Up

If you follow me on Twitter at all, you know the disdain I have for Bally Sports. Their parent company, Sinclair, bought Fox Sports after the Disney merger for an exorbitant amount and then thought that they could bully the various cable networks and streaming services into paying a high dollar amount to show sports on their various platforms. It blew up in their face and eventually they filed for bankruptcy. But my issue is that watching games on the TV allowed many Oklahomans to fall in love with the first iteration of the Thunder. Not everyone can afford to go to games. Not everyone lives close to OKC. So the TV was their way to connect with the team.

In sports, generations are measured in 3-5 year bursts. Take a snapshot of your team now and see how it looks in 3-5 years. More than likely, it is completely different. Because of all the Bally-caused blackouts, there are a lot of people in Oklahoma, of all ages, that haven’t been able to “grow” with this new iteration of the Thunder since the rebuild started. To me, I’ll always have a sore spot for Bally for preventing a “generation” of fans from not being able to connect with this team from it’s inception.

But fast forward to the news that has been coming out over the last couple of weeks. First, Bally Sports is belly-up and only covering regional sports for the rest of this season. Secondly, Amazon seems to be making a play to somehow show the games on their platform (that is still being worked out). And, thirdly, the team, itself, came to an agreement with Bally to show all the rest of the Friday games on local cable TV throughout the state (and neighboring states). Tonight is the first game for that arrangement. The Friday games will only be shown on local TV. They will not be shown on Bally. For information regarding what channels will be showing these games, please visit: https://www.nba.com/thunder/watchlocal

This is the 2nd of three meetings this season between these two teams. The Pelicans won the first meeting early in the season, 110-106.

Betting Info

  • Line: NO -1.5
  • O/U: 239.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Olivier Sarr (hip) – OUT

NO

  • Zion Williamson (foot) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Combating Size – The New Orleans Pelicans are a big team. Their front court rotation of Jonas Valanciunas, Zion Williamson, Cody Zeller, and Larry Nance Jr. are all big and beefy and their wings (Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy III) would all be power forwards if this was the 90’s. The Thunder struggled with New Orleans’ size as the game wore on the last time they played. It’ll be interesting to see how the Thunder will combat that. They may need to use the blueprint that was used against the Minnesota Timberwolves the last couple times the team has played them. Also, this is Chet’s second time playing against Valanciunas and Chet usually does a good job of adjusting once he has a scouting report on someone.
  2. Defending the 3-point line – When you think of the Pelicans, you think of Zion’s inside prowess and Ingram’s mid-range game. But what makes New Orleans dangerous is their 3-point shooting. On the season, the Pels are shooting 38.6% from the 3-point line, which is 4th best in the league. While 3-pointers don’t account for a huge part of their offense, if they are hitting them, it makes them almost unguardable.
  3. Jalen Williams – SGA will be preoccupied a lot of the evening with Jones and Murphy. While SGA does okay against the Pels, it’s usually an inefficient night by his standards. This may be a game where Jalen Williams can go to work against a 2nd-rate defender instead of Pels main big wings.

Tag Team: How the Thunder get it done in the clutch

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It was 2020, and the Oklahoma City Thunder were playing the Houston Rockets in the bubble. The happiest place on Earth was suddenly a lot happier in a very sad time, because it meant the return of NBA basketball back into our lives.

It was a bittersweet series for Thunder fans going into it. We were facing our beloved “king of the prairie”, the Brodie, Russell Westbrook in the playoffs for the first time since he was traded. The Thunder were run off the floor in the first two games of the series. But, in spite of the rough start they had, they were able to fight back and make the series 3-3 to force a game 7.

The Thunder, unfortunately, fell short in a WILD game 7. Crazy things happened throughout the game. Lu Dort, a then 29% 3 pointer shooter, knocked down 6/12 3’s. James Harden, former Thunder legend and known lazy defender, decided to play defense very late in the game to block the aforementioned Dort’s go ahead 3 point attempt. And Chris Paul, the player acquired in the Russ trade, missed a crucial and absolute bunny of a shot to put the Thunder up 1 with under 45 seconds remaining.

As he missed the shot; we knew, and he knew, that was likely the game.

“I had a floater right there in the middle of the lane that would have put us up 1.” Chris Paul lamented postgame. “I said (to the team) ‘Just keep it close, and we’ll finish it.‘ That’s on me.”

Chris Paul was something else that season, man. Went from a guy that many thought was washed and silenced every doubter. Took a team with a .2% (still insane) chance at the postseason and carried them to a 5 seed. Was 5th in MVP voting and led the NBA in points in the clutch.

Just the game prior, he hit two huge 3’s late to put the Thunder in position to win game 6.

The issue was, as he alluded to after Game 7, that it was “on me.” And it was. It was ALL on him. Whether it was scoring, creating, or distributing in the clutch, the Thunder relied solely on the play of Chris Paul.

And when it mattered most, he couldn’t deliver.

This isn’t an indictment on CP3. As I mentioned, he was AWESOME on and off the court in 2020. But it makes you think, what it would have looked like if he had someone he could also rely on in those moments. Someone, possibly, on both sides of the court. What might that have looked like?

Well, it might just look like the #1 team in the Western Conference, currently.

Today, we see a Thunder team with a similar dominance late in the game. In the clutch this season, this team boasts the highest field goal percentage (53.7%), the highest offensive rating (129.6), and the 2nd highest net rating (23.4).

And unlike that team in 2020 that lived and died off the performance of Chris Paul, it’s 3 different guys, affecting the game in a variety of ways.

(All the upcoming stats are for players who have taken at least 10 shots in the clutch)

((Shoutout Aaron Wiggins though, who is the first name that comes up if you search FG% with no filter))

First, you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The head of the snake on offense, a perennial MVP candidate, one of the most unguardable players in the entire league, widely regarded as one of the clutchest shot makers in the world. He is currently 10th in clutch points (70), and field goal percentage (61%), which is phenomenal in and of itself.

However, much like most of the discourse around Shai this year, the offense doesn’t tell you the whole story. Shai is also tied for 2nd in the league in steals made in the clutch (5). He clearly made his defense a point of emphasis over the offseason, currently leading the league in steals by a wide margin. And that clearly reflects in late game situations as well!

Then you have Chet Holmgren. A rookie who has defied every expectation, has provided an unprecedented impact to a team that was in the play-in game just last year, is the lead for Rookie of the year, a borderline All-Star, and is already one of the best rim protectors in the game. He, to a lesser but still impressive degree, is 29th in clutch FG% (53.6%) which is still great for a 3rd option on offense, and he’s already had a couple clutch moments on offense this year.

But much like Shai, it’s the defense where his impact is mostly felt. Chet is currently 4th in blocks per game (2.6) and 3rd in total blocks (111), and that has trickled into the clutch as well. Chet currently leads the league in clutch time blocks with 9 (!!) , that’s a full 2 blocks more than the 2nd highest, which, interestingly enough, is his rookie nemesis Victor Wembanyama who has 7. Late in the game, teams look for the best shots they can get, and there is no better look than at the rim… unless Chet is there and then you should probably look elsewhere.

Finally, you have arguably the most impressive stat in this article. Jalen Williams, known as JDub, Dub, or around the holidays he is affectionately referred to as Santa (real ones know what’s up). Dub is in his sophomore season, but he has been playing like a seasoned vet as of late.

In the game against the Magic on January 13th, he scored a quick flurry of points at the beginning of the 4th quarter and started tapping his wrist declaring that it’s “Dub time”! That’s the time when Shai is off the court to start the 4th quarter (and to a lesser extent the 2nd quarter). For about 6 to 7 minutes, it’s alllllllll Jalen Williams. Buckets, creation, defense, what have you; this is his time to cook, this is truly Dub time. It’s helped us cut into leads, hold leads, and extend leads. Dub time.

But what he does at the end of the 4th, is even more eye popping.

As of this writing, Jalen Williams leads the league in clutch FG% with 72.7% on 22 shots. Just last night against the Blazers, he had 3/4 shots go down (all in about the exact same spot), including what ended up being the game winner, in almost the exact same spot Shai called game against the Blazers the year prior.

What’s important about these shots? The Thunder used Shai as a screener for Dub, and then had him flare to the top of the three point line as a decoy, leaving Dub 1 on 1 against the diminutive Anfernee Simons.

Chet also had 3 of his 6 blocks in the 4th quarter. And despite Dub hitting the shot, it was Shai who stole the inbound alley-oop attempt as the clock expired to finally ice the game.

In its early conception, the Thunder relied on Kevin Durant. In 2016-17, the Thunder relied on Russell Westbrook. In 2020, the Thunder relied on Chris Paul. And in the years prior to this one, the Thunder relied solely on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

For the first time in forever, it’s not a one man band in OKC. It’s not Shai against the world. The Thunder have carefully hand picked, home grown, and developed three players at different positions, who have a killer mentality, buy in on both sides of the ball, are unselfish, and aren’t afraid of the moment.

The Thunder are no longer a one man show in the clutch. They are a tag team.

And no matter what area of the game they are effecting, no matter which one of them are tagged in, they’re coming for the belt.

They’re coming for the title.

Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs preview (Game 44 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (30-13, 1st in the West) @ San Antonio Spurs (8-35, 15th in the West)
  • When: Wednesday, 24 January 2024 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
  • Offensive Rating – SAS: 109.3 (28th) / OKC: 119.6 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating – SAS: 118.2 (25th) / OKC: 111.6 (5th)
  • Net Rating – SAS: -8.8 (26th) / OKC: 8.0 (3rd)

The Set-Up

Now comes the hard part. It’s easy to be the hunter. It’s the position most teams in the league are. But when you are at the top, you become the hunted. And that’s an entirely different set of circumstances. In a perfect world, every team would be receiving another team’s best shot in every game. But we know motivation can be a hell of a weapon. Just look at last night’s game. The Thunder needed a last second game winner (and some controversy) to come away with a 2-point victory against a team OKC had beat the previous two times they’ve played by a combined 105 points. Now when teams look at OKC, they’ll see a metaphorical crown to snatch.

This is the second of four meetings this season between these two teams. The Thunder won the first game convincingly, 123-87, in Oklahoma City, in mid-November.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -7.5
  • O/U: 242.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Olivier Sarr (hip) – Day to Day

SAS

  • Charles Bassey (knee) – OUT
  • Sidy Cissoko (ankle) – OUT
  • Tre Jones (ankle) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Mental focus – There were times in the game against the Trailblazers where the Thunder weren’t necessarily playing like themselves. Going for steals which then set the back line defenders up for failure. Taking inefficient shots. Turning the ball over. It was classic “we’re better than this team and we know we can coast and still win”. And they did. It felt very 2015-2019’ish, when the Thunder would consistently play down to their opponents and need a monster comeback to win the game.
  2. The Chet vs. Wemby match-up we’ve been waiting for – The previous match-up between these two was a bit disappointing. Not necessarily disappointing because of the individual players. But disappointing because they hardly ever matched up against each other throughout the evening. San Antonio usually deploys Zach Collins to tackle the opposing center, while the Thunder look for match ups that keep Chet closest to the rim. Luckily for us, the Spurs have recently been using starting line-ups that feature only Wembanyama as the center.
  3. Pace Race – These two teams love to push the ball up the floor. They are top-7 in the league in both pace and fast-break points. Should make for a fun game for the national TV audience.

Portland Trailblazers vs. Thunder preview (Game 43 of 82)

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  • Portland Trailblazers (12-30, 4th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (29-13, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 23 January 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – POR: 107.6 (30th) / OKC: 119.8 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating – POR: 117.2 (23rd) / OKC: 111.7 (5th)
  • Net Rating – POR: -9.6 (28th) / OKC: 8.1 (3rd)

The Set-Up

The number one seed in the Western Conference is within the Thunder grasp. A win tonight, and the Thunder tie the Timberwolves for first in the West, while also owning the tie-breaker against Minnesota. Hot on the Thunder’s tail, though, is the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers. This just shows you the competitiveness of the West. In the Eastern Conference, the first and sixth seeds are separated by 9.5 games. In the West, the first and sixth seeds are separated by only 5 games. If you have a bad week in the West, leap-frogging will occur.

This has made the Thunder’s rise even more impressive. Young teams tend to ride the highs and focus too much on the lows. But the Thunder seem to be the most even-keeled young team in recent memory. The ability to not only keep climbing, but also keep the teams behind them at bay has been very surprising. How this bides for them for the rest of the season remains to be seen. But early returns have been extremely positive.

This is the third of four meetings this season between these two teams. The Thunder have been dominant in their first two meetings, beating the Trailblazers by 43 and 62 points, respectively.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -13.5
  • O/U: 233.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

POR

  • Moses Brown (shoulder) – OUT
  • Shaedon Sharpe (lower abdominal strain/thigh) – OUT
  • Robert Williams III (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Number 1 Seed in Sight – A win tonight accomplishes several things for the Thunder. If the Thunder get the W, then they would be tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for first in the West. They would be the number one seed because they own the tie-breaker against Minnesota by virtue of their win on Saturday. But a win tonight also gives the team one more division victory, which could pay dividends for future tie-breakers. The top three teams in the West are all from the Northwest division. It also allows them to stay ahead of the fast-charging Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
  2. Trap-Game Possibilities – When you beat a team by a combined 105 points in your two meetings against them, it would almost be human nature to look past them. Despite their putrid record, the Blazers have won two of their last three games. Even though the Thunder have shown a propensity to not fail in trap-game situations, the possibility is always there.
  3. Second-Chance Points – The Trailblazers aren’t good at a lot of things. But one thing that they are good at is offensive rebounding and 2nd-chance points. These are all things that keep bad, young teams in games. Eliminate these things and you eliminate one of their main sources of offense.

Thunder @ Los Angeles Clippers preview (Game 40 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (27-12, 2nd in the West) @ Los Angeles Clippers (25-14, 4th in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 16 January 2024 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  • Offensive Rating – LAC: 119.0 (6th) / OKC: 119.8 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – LAC: 113.7 (13th) / OKC: 111.1 (5th)
  • Net Rating – LAC: 5.3 (6th) / OKC: 8.7 (2nd)

The Set-Up

The saying goes, “It’s a make or miss league”. When you are making the shots, things look beautiful. But when you are struggling to make the shots, what does your team rely upon? This is the question as the Thunder continue on in a season where the expectation is no longer just the play-in or the playoffs. The expectation is now high seed and playoff advancement. That question will become a lot louder because playoff teams will try their hardest to make the Thunder do the things that make them the most uncomfortable. Last night, the Lakers allowed players like Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Jaylin Williams, and Cason Wallace to have open looks from deep. Combined, those four players shot 9/26 overall (34.6%) and 7/20 from deep (35%). The 3-point shooting was not terribly bad from that collective, but every shot that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Joe don’t take, is a win for the defense.

This is the second of three meetings this season between these two teams. On December 21st, the Thunder beat the Clippers 134-115 in Oklahoma City, on a night where the Clippers were coming into town riding a 9-game win streak.

Betting Info

  • Line: LAC -5.5
  • O/U: 237.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

LAC

  • Moussa Diabate (hand) – OUT
  • Ivica Zubac (calf) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Make Shots – Simple as that. Last night’s game turns out very differently if the guys just shoot their averages. The other team’s defense gets a little more comfortable camping out around the lane when the shots aren’t falling. Softening that by making shots will make life a little bit easier for SGA and Jalen Williams.
  2. Chet – Holmgren is still figuring out the Rubix cube that is a couple of centers around the league (namely Anthony Davis and Domantas Sabonis). But tonight, with Ivica Zubac out, Chet will be facing the two-headed monster of Daniel Theis and Mason Plumlee. I, hopefully, only say that in jest. He should be due for a big game tonight.
  3. Fire extinguisher – The Thunder once again face the Clippers as they come into this contest as one of the hottest teams in the league. Los Angeles has won 8 of their last 10 and is quickly moving up the standings in the West. As a team that the Thunder want to keep at bay, it will be interesting to see how the Thunder bounce back from yesterday’s loss.
  4. Bonus – Just want to say “hi” to Russell Westbrook.

Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers preview (Game 39 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (27-11, 2nd in the West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (19-21, 11th in the West)
  • When: Monday, 15 January 2024 at 9:30pm CST
  • Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  • Offensive Rating – LAL: 112.2 (24th) / OKC: 120.2 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – LAL: 114.0 (14th) / OKC: 111.0 (3rd)
  • Net Rating – LAL: -1.8 (21st) / OKC: 9.2 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Listen, I’m still reeling from Saturday. The love you guys showed us on Saturday was amazing. Getting to meet many of you guys at The Parlor and then hanging out at the game was a frickin’ movie. Thank you for the motivation to continue showing up and putting together this page and this podcast. We could not do it without you guys. Here’s to many more years of love and success. Now, before I get too sappy, there is a game tonight.

This is the third of four meetings this season between these two games. The Thunder won the first meeting, 133-110, back on November 30th. The Lakers returned the favor on December 23rd, winning in OKC, 129-120. Their final game of the season is on March 4th, 2024.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -3.5
  • O/U: 237.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (knee) – Questionable

LAL

  • Anthony Davis (ankle) – Questionable
  • LeBron James (ankle) – Probable
  • Cam Reddish (knee) – OUT
  • D’Angelo Russell (illness) – Questionable
  • Gabe Vincent (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. SGA – When the day first started, the Lakes were favored. But as the day progressed, the line shifted towards favoring the Thunder. Which likely means, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be available to play tonight. If he is, watch out, because SGA loves to play under the bright lights in LA.
  2. Physicality – One of the biggest issues the Thunder face when battling the Lakers, is their size up front. Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, and Christian Woods are just large individuals. And when they play against the Thunder, who start a “still thin” Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, they do struggle, at times, to match the size and strength of other teams. Expect Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams to play some minutes in this game.
  3. Defending Without Fouling – The Lakers attempt the 7th most amount of free throws in the league at 24.4 attempts per game. The Thunder, on the other hand, foul the 10th most in the league. Players like James and Davis are foul-magnets and the Thunder have a tendency to be hyper-aggressive defensively, which can lead to dumb fouls and an unbalanced free throw count between the two teams. The Thunder have to play their game defensively, but play it intelligently.

Portland Trailblazers vs. Thunder preview (Game 37 of 82)

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  • Portland Trailblazers (10-26, 14th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (25-11, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 11 January 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – POR: 108.0 (29th) / OKC: 119.9 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – POR: 116.0 (19th) / OKC: 112.3 (7th)
  • Net Rating – POR: -8.0 (26th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

I need a show of hands of everyone who had “Mark Daigneault coaching in the All-Star Game” on their 2023-24 Thunder bingo card. Nobody? Nobody. But here we are, 36 games into the season, sitting a half-game back of the top spot in the West. In order for Daigneault to coach in the All-Star game, the Thunder would need to be first in the West two weeks prior to the All-Star game, which is on February 18th. The Thunder play 14 games in that time frame, with two of those games being against the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves and one of those games being against the no.3 team in the West, the Denver Nuggets. Denver coach Mike Malone is disqualified from coaching in this year’s All-Star game due to having coached in the game last season. So if for some reason, Denver ends up 1st in the West and OKC 2nd, Daigneault would still end up as the All-Star game coach. The ball in the Thunder’s court.

This is the 2nd meeting of the year between these two Northwest division rivals. The Thunder won big in their last meeting, winning 134-91 in Portland. They play two more times after today (Jan. 23rd and Mar. 6th).

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -12.5
  • O/U: 235.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Davis Bertans (illness) – Day to Day
  • Olivier Sarr (illness) – Day to Day

POR

  • DeAndre Ayton (knee) – Doubtful
  • Robert Williams III (knee) – OUT
  • Moses Brown (shoulder) – OUT
  • Jabari Walker (knee) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Dominate the Paint – The Trailblazers are one of the worst teams in defending the paint (currently ranked 28th in the league). The Thunder are one of the best at scoring in the paint (currently ranked at 5th in the league). On the other end of the floor, the Thunder are the 2nd best team at defending the paint, while the Trailblazers are the 2nd worst team at scoring in the paint. When you add to that the fact that all three centers for the Trailblazers are likely out, this becomes a much easier game for the likes of Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
  2. Turn Them Over – The Trailblazers are the 28th ranked team in terms of protecting the rock. The Thunder rank first in the league in scoring points off turnovers and blocks and 5th in steals. This totally plays into the Thunder’s hands.
  3. Fight for First – If the Thunder win tonight, they’ll be tied with the Timberwolves for the best record in the West. Unfortunately, they’ll still be listed at no. 2 by virtue of a tiebreaker. The head to head match-up between the two teams is tied at one apiece, but the Wolves currently have a better division record than the Thunder. Damn you, tiebreakers!

Thunder @ Miami Heat preview (Game 36 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (24-11, 2nd in the West) at Miami Heat (21-15, 5th in the East)
  • When: Wednesday, 10 January 2024 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL
  • Offensive Rating – MIA: 114.8 (17th) / OKC: 119.7 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – MIA: 113.5 (13th) / OKC: 112.1 (7th)
  • Net Rating – MIA: 1.4 (15th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

The grind. That arduous part of the season where you live life to the cadence of Kendrick Lamar’s song Swimming Pools.

Play a game (drank)
Hop a plane (drank)
Play a game (drank)
Hop a plane (drank)
One day rest (drank)
Play a game (drank)
Hop a plane (drank)

Over the next 20 days, the Thunder play 12 games in all four contiguous time-zones. There’s a reason why we are seeing funky line-ups and inconsistent play. Coach Mark Daigneault can’t risk completely tiring out the players that will likely be in the rotation come playoff time. That’s why you see a Lindy Waters III play a 20-minute stretch here or there. That’s why you see Vasilije Micic play a game and then not play another. While that keeps players fresh, it does tend to lend itself to inconsistent play on the floor. The hope is that all this will allow not just the team to be fresher come playoff time, but also, for more players to have seen time on the floor to get comfortable with whatever situation may be thrown their way in high-pressure games.

This is the first of two meetings between these two teams. They will face off again on March 8th in Oklahoma City.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -4.5
  • O/U: 233.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Davis Bertans (illness) – Questionable

MIA

  • Jimmy Butler (toe) – OUT
  • Kyle Lowry (hand, illness) – Doubtful
  • Caleb Martin (ankle) – Doubtful
  • Dru Smith (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Pace – OKC’s pace of play is the 6th highest in the league. Miami’s is the 4th slowest. I think whoever plays their brand of basketball wins this game. If the Thunder are able to get into transition, they have the advantage. But if Miami allowed to muck things up and zone the Thunder into running a lot of half-court offense, it’ll definitely be to Miami’s advantage. Miami is that weird team that doesn’t get a lot of blocks (last in the league at just 3.3 a game), but does a good job a protecting the paint (13th best, allowing 48.6 points in the paint a game).
  2. Josh Giddey – I actually think this could be a big game for Giddey as a connector piece. Miami will probably play a lot of zone, and having Giddey at the nail allows him to survey the floor and find the best possible option to eventually get a good shot.
  3. A Rookie Duel – This game pits the reigning Rookies of the Month in Chet Holmgren and Jaime Jaquez Jr. For revered as Oklahoma City’s scouting department is, I think flowers should also be thrown in Miami’s direction for their scouting department also. It seems like they’ve got another good one in Jaquez Jr.

Thunder @ Washington Wizards preview (Game 35 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (23-11, 3rd in the West) @ Washington Wizards (6-29, 14th in the East)
  • When: Monday, 08 January 2024 at 6:00pm CST
  • Where: Capital One Arena, Washington D.C.
  • Offensive Rating – WAS: 111.3 (25th) / OKC:119.3 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – WAS: 121.6 (30th) / OKC: 111.7 (7th)
  • Net Rating – WAS: -10.3 (27th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

Wait…so this team isn’t perfect? You mean to tell me that the Oklahoma City Thunder are likely not going to win every game this season from here on out? I totally feel like I’ve been sold a bill of goods. I mean, this team was supposed to buck all the trends in the world and become the greatest team since the 73-9 Golden State Warriors…while winning the title. Like, if this team isn’t going to do that, then we might as well start tanking again, right?

Let’s take a breath, Thunder nation. *cue Martin Lawrence’s “Woo-sah” from Bad Boys 2.* Yes, the Thunder have suffered some losses to some inferior opponents. The Atlanta loss was what they call in the NBA “a scheduled loss”. Second night of a back to back while the first game was an epic win at home. Flight delay that caused the team to arrive in Atlanta around four in the morning. No energy. No legs. Scheduled loss. But the Nets game was the anomaly. Here’s the thing: those things happen in the NBA. Bad night shooting. The other team gets off to a hot start and goes up big early. Your weaknesses (rebounding) come to the forefront for that evening. It happens. You “Men In Black” that out of your memory and move on to the next one.

This is the first of two meetings this season between these two teams. They meet again on February 23rd.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -10.5
  • O/U: 247.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

WAS

  • Landry Shamet (hamstring) – Day to Day
  • Delon Wright (quad) – Day to Day

Three Big Things

  1. Attack the paint – The Washington Wizards rank 29th in the league in points allowed in the paint. The Thunder are 7th in the NBA in scoring points in the paint. Outside of Daniel Gafford, the Wiz don’t have a ton of interior protection. This game is tailor-made for the Thunder to go off offensively.
  2. Rebounding, Advantage: Thunder – This is literally the only team in the league that is worse at rebounding than the Thunder. As a matter of pride, we better win this rebounding battle.
  3. Fool’s Gold – I hope the Thunder don’t get goaded into thinking this will be a cake-walk. Yes, the Wizards are one of the worst teams in the league. And, yes, they are very inefficient. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have weapons. Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole have each had 50-pieces in their careers. Corey Kispert and Tyus Jones are adept at their positions and good shooters. We all know what former Thunder players Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari are good at. We all know how awesome of a teammate Eugene Omoruyi is. What you saw in Brooklyn could repeat itself in DC if the Thunder don’t stick to their defensive principles and start off disciplined.

Thunder @ Brooklyn Nets preview (Game 34 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (23-10, 2nd in the West) @ Brooklyn Nets (15-20, 9th in the East)
  • When: Friday, 05 January 2024 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
  • Offensive Rating – BKN: 115.3 (15th) / OKC: 119.5 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating – BKN: 117.1 (23rd) / OKC: 111.3 (6th)
  • Net Rating – BKN: -1.8 (22nd) / OKC: 8.1 (3rd)

The Set-Up

It’s a bit crazy to play against a team and covet so many of their players. Teams like Brooklyn and Utah are loaded with veterans that would instantly make the Thunder an even better team. Both teams are in some sort of weird transition (either between rebuilding or putting together a playoff team) and have coveted vets from the aftermaths of major trades they made in the past. I can name five players on Brooklyn and three players on Utah who would look good in Thunder blue. And many of those players would not cost a ton for the Thunder to acquire. As the Thunder play Brooklyn tonight, just pay attention to some of the players on the Nets, as they made end up in OKC in due time.

This is the 2nd and final meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder beat the Nets 124-106 on New Year’s Eve in Oklahoma City.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -5.5
  • O/U: 234.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

BKN

  • Ben Simmons (back) – OUT
  • Dennis Smith Jr. (back) – Probable
  • Lonnie Walker IV (hamstring) – Probable

Three Big Things

  1. Another Desperate Team – The Atlanta Hawks had come into Wednesday’s game having lost four of their last five and looking at a season that was quickly spiraling into disappointment. The Brooklyn Nets are in that same boat. Having lost 10 of their last 12, and currently riding a 5-game losing streak, the Nets are looking to get back on the right track. These two teams played each other less than a week ago and the Nets had a great first quarter in that game, before they seemingly forgot how to shoot and ended up losing by 16.
  2. Cam Thomas – The definition of a microwave scorer. Just this season alone, in 26 games, Thomas has had two 40-point games, four 30-point games, and nine 20-point games. He looked like he was well on his way to another 40-point night on New Year’s Eve in OKC, starting that game shooting 4-4 for 10 points in 6 minutes of game action in the first quarter. He shot 3-14 the rest of the game and missed 4 free throws along the way. He still finished with 20, but could’ve had so much more.
  3. Controlled Defensive Aggressiveness – The Nets do a great job of protecting the ball. They are the 4th best at protecting the ball, averaging just 12.6 turnovers a game. Against the Thunder last Sunday, the Nets only had seven turnovers. It was an over-aggressive defense in the first quarter of that game that allowed the Nets to get so many open looks. Oklahoma City corrected as the game went on, but it was a lesson to be learned.