Tag Archives: Cam Thomas

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Thunder preview (Game 56 of 82)

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  • Milwaukee Bucks (22-30, 12th in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (42-13, 1st in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 12 February 2026 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Prime Video / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: MIL: 113.0 (24th) / OKC: 118.1 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating: MIL: 116.7 (22nd) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
  • Net Rating: MIL: -3.7 (23rd) / OKC: 12.0 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: MIL: Winners of 4 of their last 5 / OKC: Winners of 4 of their last 6

The Tip-Off

Dang it! You write about the man in the last gameday preview. He puts together his best game of the season. And then the Injury Monster rears it’s ugly head again. This has been a miserable season, health-wise, for Jalen Williams. Against the Suns, Dub was out there looking like All-Star Dub for the entirety of the game, putting on a clinic in the 3rd quarter. But on his single miss of the game, a fast-break lay-up attempt where he had to reach for the ball in full stride, he jogged back to the other side of the court and pointed to the bench while grabbing his hamstring. Timeout, Thunder. Dub heads back to the locker room, never to be seen again. Here’s hoping the All-Star break can help heal some of the Thunder’s walking wounded.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between these two bitter rivals (that’s the joke – they were matched up on rivalry week…for why? I don’t know). The Thunder won the first meeting 122-102, in a game where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 40 points, while Ajay Mitchell and Kenrich Williams each contributed 18 points apiece.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -13
  • O/U: 214.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Branden Carlson – OUT (back spasms)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

MIL

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo – OUT (calf)
  • Kyle Kuzma – Questionable (foot)
  • Taurean Prince – OUT (neck)
  • Ryan Rollins – Questionable (foot)

Three Big Things

  1. Hot-shooting Team – Both teams come into this game on shooting hot streaks over the past 10 days. Since Feb. 2nd, Milwaukee is 4th in FG% and 1st in 3pt FG%. During that same timespan, OKC is 11th in FG% and 4th in 3pt FG%. Granted, three of the teams that Milwaukee played in that timeframe are in the bottom 10 of defensive rating, but sometimes the opponent doesn’t really matter if you are riding a hot wave.
  2. 1…2…3…Cancun! – The game before the All-Star break has the possibility of being a weird game. Milwaukee comes into the game on a hot streak, with young players that want to prove themselves not only to the Bucks, but also to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Guys like Cam Thomas and Thunder legend Ousmane Dieng are getting the green light to put all their skills on display and it’s resulted in some spirited wins here lately. Meanwhile, the Thunder likely just want to get through this game unscathed, so their guys can get a week’s worth of rest.
  3. Nikola Topic – It’s been a long road, but Nikola Topic will make his professional debut tonight. After rehabbing an ACL injury the entirety of his rookie season to battling testicular cancer in the first half of this season, Topic has traveled a journey that would break many. He made his G-League debut earlier this week and immediately looked like he belonged. He scored 7 points and dished out 7 assists in his first game with the Blue. The next night, he scored 22 points and handed out 4 assists. In the absence of SGA, Mitchell, and now, Dub, having Topic out there to facilitate and play-make will be a gift.

 

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.