Tag Archives: Boston Celtics

Chicago Bulls vs. Thunder preview (Game 74 of 82)

Posted on by
Reply

  • Chicago Bulls (29-43, 12th in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (57-16, 1st in the West)
  • When: Friday, 27 March 2026 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: NBATV / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: CHI: 112.6 (24th) / OKC: 117.1 (8th)
  • Defensive Rating: CHI: 117.1 (23rd) / OKC: 106.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating: CHI: -4.5 (23rd) / OKC: 10.8 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: CHI: 3-5 in their last 8 games / OKC: Lost their last game, winners of 12 of their last 13
  • OKC Magic Number Count – 8, to clinch the #1 seed throughout the playoffs

The Tip-Off

Here lately, it has felt like the Thunder are playing every game on Friday the 13th and the San Antonio Spurs are Jason Voorhees. And no matter how fast the Thunder run, the Spurs are right there continually nipping at their heels. (Cha-cha-cha) Win 12 in a row…the Spurs go 11-1 in that same stretch. Look at the strength of schedule for their remaining games, and the 2 game lead the Thunder hold over the Spurs constantly feels like its only a step away. But is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. The Thunder weren’t really tested last season until the 2nd round of the playoffs, which may have played a part in their inexperience during certain situations in the playoffs. Having to be battle-tested in the regular season could show it’s worth in the playoffs this season. While the Thunder did eventually win the title, there are some players on the roster this season that didn’t necessarily play a big part in the rotation last year (namely Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain). In addition, it also puts the onus on the Spurs to have to continue playing all the way through the end of the season, which limits their ability to rest their players.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Bulls. OKC won the first meeting, 116-108, in a game that saw five Thunder players score at least 17 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was out for that game and the leading scorer for OKC was Jared McCain off the bench with 20 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -18.5
  • O/U: 238.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Brooks Barnhizer – OUT (personal)
  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (hip contusion)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

CHI

  • Zach Collins – OFS (toe)
  • Rob Dillingham – Probable (knee)
  • Noa Essengue – OFS (shoulder)
  • Jaden Ivey – OFS (knee)
  • Yuki Kawamura – Day to Day (quad)
  • Isaac Okoro – Probable (knee)
  • Nick Richards – Questionable (elbow)
  • Anfernee Simons – OUT (wrist)
  • Jalen Smith – OFS (calf)
  • Guerschon Yabusele – Questionable (ankle)

Three Big Things

  1. Take Care of Business – The Thunder are at home after a long road trip and playing a team that has no business competing with them. In addition, they are the healthiest they’ve been all year. With the Spurs nipping at their heels, there should be no reason why the Thunder don’t do the necessary things to put this team away quickly and early in the game.
  2. Perimeter Defense – The Chicago Bulls score 37.7% of their points from the 3-point line. That’s 6th best in the league. They were just scorched by the #3 team in that statistical category in their last game against Boston. While the Thunder’s defensive philosophy has worked for the most part of the past couple of seasons, there are still nights where their inside-out principle works against them. It would behoove the Thunder to not let ball-handlers into the lane and to run out to the 3-point shooters for Chicago.
  3. Downhill Scoring – The Bulls rank 4th worst in the league in paint defense, allowing 53.4 points per game. With Zach Collins and Jalen Smith out for the season and Nick Richards questionable, it would behoove the Thunder to constantly attack the paint and run their offense through their paint touches tonight.

Boston Celtics vs. Thunder preview (Game 67 of 82)

Posted on by
Reply

  • Boston Celtics (43-22, 2nd in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (51-15, 1st in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 12 March 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Prime Video / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: BOS: 119.8 (2nd) / OKC: 117.0 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating: BOS: 111.8 (5th) / OKC: 106.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating: BOS: 7.9 (2nd) / OKC: 10.8 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: BOS: Lost their last game, 9-3 in their last 12 / OKC: Winners of 6 in a row, 9-1 in their last 10

The Tip-Off

There was a point around early February, where the Thunder were struggling with injuries and struggling with winning consistently. Many basketball prognosticators pointed to this particular point in the season when the Thunder would start to lose their grip on their #1 status in both the conference and the league. San Antonio and Detroit both nipping at their tail and a murderer’s row of opponents (New York (in NYC), Denver,  Boston, and Minnesota) lied ahead. The post All-Star break schedule was the one that was going to break the Thunder. What has happened since the All-Star break? A 9-1 record with the only loss being to the Detroit Pistons on a night where the Thunder were missing their top 6 players (SGA, Chet, Dub, Hartenstein, Ajay, and Caruso). This team is getting healthier and gaining some momentum at the right time in the season.

This is the first of two meetings this season between these two conference powerhouses. OKC swept the season series last season. These two teams were the favorites to meet in the Finals last season, but the injury to Jayson Tatum was too much for Boston as they lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -6.5
  • O/U: 215.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Branden Carlson – OUT (back)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf contusion)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

BOS

  • Payton Pritchard – Probable (neck spasms)
  • Jayson Tatum – Questionable (Achilles recovery management)
  • Nikola Vucevic – OUT (finger)
  • Derrick White – Questionable (knee contusion)

Three Big Things

  1. Pace – Boston is the “slowest” team in the league, ranking dead last in Pace and Fast Break Points per game. But, with that, comes the ability to protect the ball, which they do to the utmost, ranking first in turnovers, committing just 12.1 turnovers per game. This will be where OKC has to win the game. Forcing turnovers and getting out in transition would get Boston out of their element and turn the game in OKC’s favor.
  2. Perimeter Defense – Boston is the most “jump-shootiest” of jump-shooting teams there is in the league. They rank 1st in 3-point attempts per game, last in free-throw attempts per game (usually an indicator of a jump-shooting team), and 28th in Points in the Paint per game. They rank 6th in percentage of points from the mid-range and 3rd in percentage of points from the 3-point line. This may change a bit with the return of Jayson Tatum, but even with Tatum in the lineup, the Celtics were normally known as a team at the top or near the top of 3-point attempts. To a team like OKC, which likes to play it’s defense inside-out, if Boston is hitting their shots consistently, it could make for a long night.
  3. 127 – Anytime you tie a record set by Wilt Chamberlain, you’re in rarefied air. Anytime you have the chance to break a record set by Chamberlain, you’re on a whole ‘nother level. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself on the precipice of breaking the consecutive “20-points scored” games record. It’ll be interesting to see how Boston handles this. Are they going to throw the kitchen sink at SGA in order to try and avoid this milestone happening on their watch. Or will Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla just stick to his normal game plan and let the chips fall as they may.

Thunder @ Sacramento Kings preview (Game 72 of 82)

Posted on by
Reply
  • 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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

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

The Set-Up

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

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

Magic Numbers

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

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -6.5
  • O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

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

HOU

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

Three Big Things

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

Thunder @ Atlanta Hawks preview (Game 33 of 82)

Posted on by
Reply
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (23-9, 2nd in the West) @ Atlanta Hawks (13-19, 11th in the East)
  • When: Wednesday, 03 January 2024 at 6:30 pm CST
  • Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
  • Offensive Rating – ATL: 119.1 (6th) / OKC: 119.2 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating – ATL: 119.7 (27th) / OKC: 110.7 (3rd)
  • Net Rating – ATL: -0.6 (19th) / OKC: 8.5 (3rd)

The Set-Up

There was a time several years ago, where, if you asked the question “Who would you rather have? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Trae Young” and you didn’t answer “Trae Young”, you’d be viewed as some sort of pariah. Fast forward to today, you would be seen as a madman if you picked Trae Young as your answer. The evolution of SGA as a player over the last couple of years has been a marvel to watch. This was not the player that people thought SGA would become when he was drafted. He didn’t have a National Player of the Year season at Kentucky like Young did. He didn’t have the hype that Young did. The draft position that Young did. But he has worked on his craft and has used the physical skills allotted to him to become the player you now see. A consistent and efficient 30-point scorer that affects the game on both ends of the court. Not only has SGA surpassed Trae Young, but he may have lapped him a couple of times in the process.

This is the second meeting of the year between these two teams. The Thunder won the first meeting in early November, 126-117.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -1.5
  • O/U: 248.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

ATL

  • Mouhamed Gueye (back) – OUT
  • De’Andre Hunter (knee) – OUT
  • Seth Lundy (ankle) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Trap Game Potential – Over the past week, the Thunder have beat the Western Conference’s 1st place and 3rd place teams and the Eastern Conference’s 1st place team. Now they are playing the 11th ranked team in the East. A team they’ve already beat earlier this season. And I am honestly more worried about this game than any of those other games. The Hawks are a desperate bunch. They do not see themselves as a 13-19 team. And they can score in droves. A bad shooting night by the Thunder or a poor defensive game and they could get caught by surprise.
  2. Track Meet – These are two of the highest scoring offenses in the league right now. They rank 3rd and 4th in points scored per game and are only separated by 0.7 points. A lot like Boston, the Hawks also like to hoist up a lot of 3’s (38.7 attempts per game, 6th in the league) and are the 2nd best offensive rebounding team in the league. The Thunder, meanwhile are the best 3-point shooting team in the league and are 3rd in effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. The could definitely be a barn burner tonight.
  3. Attack the paint – The Hawks aren’t great defensively, but they definitely struggle in protecting the paint. The Hawks rank 24th in blocks per game and 27th in points allowed in the paint. That is one of the areas where the Thunder excels.

Boston Celtics vs. Thunder preview (Game 32 of 82)

Posted on by
Reply
  • Boston Celtics (26-6, 1st in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (22-9, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 02 January 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – BOS: 120.8 (2nd) / OKC: 118.9 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating – BOS: 110.4 (3rd) / OKC: 110.3 (2nd)
  • Net Rating – BOS: 10.4 (1st) / OKC: 8.7 (3rd)

The Set-Up

22-9. Let that sink in for a moment. When you are in the thick of it, you usually don’t get to appreciate what you are watching. But 22-9. For a team that was said to be in a rebuild just last season. For a team that many thought would be in a rebuild for several seasons. This team was in the playoffs just three years ago. And they were in two play-in games just this past April. It literally took three draft cycles to get them back to where they are at. No major free agent signings. No number 1 picks. Just great scouting and development.

As we head into the new year, where do we go now. Do we let this thing ride out and see how far we can go with the team as currently constructed? Do we make a move to shore up any weaknesses we may have on the periphery? Or do we push all of our chips in (correction: some of our chips (we have so many we can afford to push in chips and still have plenty left)) to get a top-tier talent to put alongside our core? It is a question in which the answer will materialize here within the next month to month and a half. The Thunder have 20 games between now and the trade deadline. It’s going to be a wild ride from now to then.

This is the first meeting of the year between these two teams. Their next meeting is on April 3rd.

Betting Info

  • Line: BOS -4.5
  • O/U: 239.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

BOS

  • None

Three Big Things

  1. Rebounding – I hate to beat the crap out of a dead horse, but these types of stats usually matter in this kind of game. Against the Brooklyn Nets, the Thunder allowed 17 offensive rebounds. Fortunately for them, the Nets did not make the Thunder pay for that. But against a team like Boston, who also happens to be one of the best rebounding teams in the league, that will definitely come back to bite you in the butt. The Thunder will need to gang rebound, especially in the shallow post, as Boston shoots a ton of 3’s (No. 1 in the league in both attempts and makes) and those tend to bounce closer to the free throw area instead of closer to the rim.
  2. Pace – The Thunder look to push the pace a lot more than the Celtics. One thing that I’ve noticed over the past couple of games, especially since the Clippers on 21 December, is that the Thunder are looking to push as soon as they gain possession. They’ve flummoxed several top tier teams (Clippers, Nuggets, Knicks) in the past week just with this alone.
  3. SGA – This is a tent-pole game. A game that if you perform well, you can point to it as an example of what kind of season you had. As SGA forges his path towards MVP contention, this is the kind of game that carries a lot of weight. Boston is No. 4 defensively in stopping points in the paint. It’s an unstoppable object vs. immovable force type situation.

Thunder @ Timberwolves Preview (Game 64 of 82)

Posted on by
Reply

okc logo at twolves

  • When: Tuesday, 05 March 2019 at 7:00 pm CST
  • Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
  • TV: FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: MIN -2.0 | O/U: 236.5
  • Off Rating: OKC – 109.9 (15th) | MIN – 110.6 (12th)
  • Def Rating: OKC – 105.6 (3rd) | MIN – 111.0 (20th)

Injuries never come at a good time. Gordon Hayward got injured at the beginning of the season last year and Boston’s entire game plan had to change from that point on. It worked for them, as they made all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, but a healthy Hayward, in his prime, may have pushed them even further. Continue reading →

Thunder obtain Abdel Nader in a trade with Boston

Posted on by
Reply

NBA: Boston Celtics at Sacramento KingsIn a league where it seems like only big money contracts get traded, the Thunder have made two trades in the span of a week involving three players making exactly the same amount as second-year players on rookie minimum deals. Last Friday, the Thunder traded center Dakari Johnson and cash considerations to the Orlando Magic for Rodney Purvis.

Many viewed this trade as a cost-cutting move, as Johnson’s deal was fully guaranteed and Purvis’ deal was non-guaranteed through January 10th. The cash the Thunder sent to Orlando was likely to cover the cost of Johnson’s contract (around $1.5 million).   Continue reading →

Thunder vs. Celtics preview (Game 73 of 82)

Posted on by
Reply

okc logo atboston-celtics-logo-transparent.png

  • When: Tuesday, 20 March 2018 at 7:00 pm CST
  • Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
  • TV: TNT/FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -4.5 | O/U – 208.5

The Oklahoma City Thunder have definitely been akin to the kid that never shows up to class, doesn’t do his homework, but then passes his tests with flying colors. It’s maddening. It’s frustrating. But it’s them. They are a team that is likely built for the playoffs, and not for the rigmarole of the regular season. Continue reading →

Celtics vs. Thunder preview (Game 8 of 82)

Posted on by
Reply

celtics vs. okc logo

  • When: Friday, 03 November 2017 at 8:30 pm CST
  • Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: ESPN/FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -6.5 | O/U – 205.5

Seven games in and the Oklahoma City Thunder are still looking for that statement victory. They beat the Knicks, Pacers, and Bulls pretty handily, like they were supposed to. And for as good as Giannis Antetokounmpo has been, the Bucks are still an inconsistent, middle of the conference team in the East. The three games against sturdier competition have resulted in losses.

So the Thunder still find themselves in search of that one signature win. As they continue figuring out the puzzle pieces that is their revamped team, the pendulum seems to be swinging towards the direction of them getting this thing figured out. Each player now has a role of what role they play on this team. Will that change as the season progresses? Probably. But the most important part of knowing what to do, how to do it, and when to do it seems to no longer be puzzling the Thunder players. And that is a scary thought for the rest of the league.  Continue reading →