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Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs preview (Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals)

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  • #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (9-1) @ #2 San Antonio Spurs (9-4)
  • When: Friday, 22 May 2026 at 7:30pm CST
  • Where: Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX
  • TV: NBC/Peacock
  • Playoff Offensive Rating (of the remaining 4 playoff teams): SAS: 114.4 (3rd) / OKC: 128.2 (1st)
  • Playoff Defensive Rating (of the remaining 4 playoff teams): SAS: 100.0 (1st) / OKC: 108.2 (3rd)
  • Playoff Net Rating (of the remaining 4 playoff teams): SAS: 14.4 (3rd) / OKC: 20.0 (2nd)
  • Series Record: Tied 1-1

The Tip-Off

Perspective can be a funny thing. Both of these teams are heading into Game 3 saying the same thing: “Damn, we could be up 2-0.” San Antonio had control for most of Game 1, but could never completely shut the door on OKC and required double overtime to secure a victory. And OKC was the aggressor in Game 2, but their lead never completely felt safe. A couple shots going in either way, and we have a completely different series on our hands. That’s how close this series has been, After two games, OKC is leading San Antonio in total points scored in the series, 237-235. When a series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 wins the series 73.3% of the time. Last season, though, OKC bucked that trend in the Denver and Indiana series, losing Game 3 in both series, and coming back to win the series in 7 games.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -1.5
  • O/U: 217.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – Questionable (hamstring)

SAS

  • De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (ankle)
  • Dylan Harper – Questionable (adductor)

Three Big Things

  1. The Officials – It sucks that this has to lead off my “3 Big Things”, but we all know there will ultimately be a game where the refs are going to swing the momentum either way. To their credit, the refs have been great in the first two games. This series is extremely physical both ways and the refs have done a great job of controlling the game, both from a physicality perspective and a foul-calling perspective. The more aggressive team has rightfully gotten the benefit of the calls in both games. But now that Isaiah Hartenstein has imposed his will on Victor Wembanyama, will Marc Davis and his crew try to course-correct the physicality or will it be a continuation of the first two games?
  2. Injuries/Depth – This is why depth is king in today’s NBA. By this point in the season, teams are dealing with some sort of injury to key player(s). It is almost a given. New York has had to keep an eye on OG Anunoby’s hamstring. San Antonio with Fox and, now, Harper. OKC with Jalen Williams. Cleveland has probably been the healthiest, but also benefit from having a deep roster. If both Fox and Harper have to sit, it could bear itself pretty significantly if the Spurs have to play their 9th-10th guys. Jordan McLaughlin and Harrison Barnes got some action in Game 2 and McLaughlin was a -10 in his 7 minutes of action. OKC has basically played the entire season without Dub, but it still would have been beneficial to have him healthy throughout the playoffs.
  3. Force Wemby to Work – As crazy as it may sound, they way to defeat Wembanyama is to make him work defensively. In Game 1, OKC was thinking too much on the offensive end and allowing Wemby to just roam and not tire himself out defensively. He played defense mentally, more than physically in Game 1. In Game 2, OKC continuously put him into actions and made him have to move around and make decisions. Many times, it was the correct decision, but OKC was able to catch more of a rhythm offensively because they forced Wemby to have to make a decision and then dictated terms from there. A secondary effect to this is tiring Wemby so he isn’t as effective on the offensive end for San Antonio.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Thunder preview (Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals)

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  • #2 San Antonio Spurs (8-3) vs. #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (8-0)
  • When: Monday, 18 May 2026 at 7:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: NBC/Peacock
  • Playoff Offensive Rating (of the remaining playoff teams): SAS: 117.3 (3rd) / OKC: 126.3 (1st)
  • Playoff Defensive Rating (of the remaining playoff teams): SAS: 102.2 (1st) / OKC: 109.3 (3rd)
  • Playoff Net Rating (of the remaining playoff teams): SAS: 15.2 (3rd) / OKC: 17.0 (2nd)
  • Series Record: 0-0

The Tip-Off

Inevitabilities in life: taxes, death, and the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs meeting in the 2026 Western Conference Finals. These two freight trains have been on a collision course since it became evident that San Antonio had jumped into a Mario warp pipe and skipped from level 2 to level 8 on the development curve. Having a generational talent like Victor Wembanyama will allow you to do that. Then came the five meetings this year between these two teams and the narrative that San Antonio is probably the best equipped team to knock off the champs in the playoff series, and you get to where we are now. First to four for Western Conference supremacy and a trip to the NBA Finals. ANNNNDDD….it’s on NBC. Cue the music, John Tesh.

Season Series

Game 1 – Dec. 13th (San Antonio won 111-109) – This was the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas, NV. A back and forth affair in the 4th quarter. San Antonio hit just enough more shots late in the game to keep OKC at bay and hold on to a 2-point victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 29 points and 5 assists, but also had 5 turnovers and shot 1-7 from deep. San Antonio, on the over hand, had four players with at least 22 points, led by Devin Vessell.

Game 2 – Dec. 23rd (San Antonio won 130-110) – OKC held a 2-point lead at halftime and then proceeded to get blown out 72-50 in the 2nd half. The Spurs were the aggressors, as evidenced by the disparity in free throw attempts (24-7), forced turnovers (15-9), and points in the paint (60-48). SGA led the way again with 33 points, with Jalen Williams chipping in with 17 points. San Antonio was led by Keldon Johnson (25 points) and Steph Castle (24 points).

Game 3 – Dec. 25th (San Antonio won 117-102) – Definitely, the “oh shit” moment for the Thunder. OKC finally got a Christmas game at home and came out and laid an egg against the Spurs. OKC shot 39% from the field and struggled to consistently get stops on the defensive end. The flashpoint in this game was Alex Caruso shooting 2-12 from deep (but starting off 0-9 before finally seeing one go through late in the 3rd quarter). De’Aaron Fox led the way for San Antonio with 29 points with Wembanyama contributing with 19 points and 11 rebounds. SGA scored 22 points on 7/19 shooting, while Isaiah Hartenstein had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Game 4 – Jan. 13th (OKC won 119-98) – The “get back” game for the Thunder. Were more the aggressors in this one, holding San Antonio to 40% shooting from the field and winning the points in the paint battle, 56-40. OKC used a huge third quarter that saw them turn a 3-point halftime lead into a 19-point lead heading into the fourth. OKC was led by SGA with 34 points and Dub with 20 points. Steph Castle had 20 points and Wemby had 17 and 7 for the Spurs.

Game 5 – Feb. 4th (San Antonio won 116-106) – The “scheduled loss” game for OKC. Second night of a back to back. Third game in four nights. And, with four previous games against the Spurs, the team probably saw this as an opportunity to see if there was something unconventional that could be discovered in this game. What many thought would be a blow-out going away turned into a very competitive game that saw the Spurs starters play until the last minute of the game. OKC was led by Kenrich Williams (25 points and 9 rebounds), Jaylin Williams (24 points and 12 rebounds), and Aaron Wiggins (20 points). The Spurs were led by Keldon Johnson (25 points) and Wembanyama (22 points and 14 rebounds).

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -6.5
  • O/U: 221.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

SAS

  • De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (ankle)
  • Luke Kornet – Questionable (foot)

Five Big Things

  1. Healthy J-Dub – One of the biggest X-factors for OKC is whether they’ll get a healthy Jalen Williams for the series. In the regular season games, Williams played in the four consequential games for OKC but was never fully healthy. He was still recovering from his offseason wrist surgery and was working his way back during all four of those Spurs games. In that quartet of games, Dub averaged 16.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 turnovers, and 2.5 steals with 44/36/67 shooting splits. While those numbers look okay, they pale in comparison to what an healthy, efficient Dub stat-line would look like. If San Antonio is going to put full effort into stopping SGA, having a healthy Dub is necessary for OKC to continuously pressure the Spurs defense.
  2. Chet’s mindset – For a player that was an All-Star and will likely be on one of the All-NBA teams, Holmgren’s four games against San Antonio were as forgettable as they come. The Thunder big man averaged 10.5 points and 8 rebounds on 39/20/80 shooting splits. For OKC to be successful in this series, they need Holmgren to be effective out there. Someone that makes San Antonio pay as a release valve and someone the Spurs needs to pay attention to. Too many times in those four San Antonio games, Holmgren was just a body out there, allowing the Spurs to load up in the paint and forcing OKC to be primarily a jump-shooting team. He doesn’t necessarily need to win every battle against Wembanyama, but he does need leave his imprint on every game.
  3. Ajay Mitchell – Mitchell played in only one of the five games against San Antonio this season. Ironically, it was the game where OKC won. As Mitchell’s star has grown throughout these playoffs, he becomes the unknown factor in this series against the Spurs. Being that secondary/tertiary ball-handler is something OKC did not have in most of the games against San Antonio this season and something the Spurs haven’t seen a ton of in these playoffs. Portland plays similarly to OKC with Deni Avdija being the offensive engine, but Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday aren’t necessarily on the level of Dub and Ajay Mitchell. Minnesota had an Anthony Edwards at about 80% and Ayo Dosunmu and Julius Randle, two players who are primarily attackers and not play-makers.
  4. Jared McCain – Can McCain play in this series? He’d definitely be a weapon as a floor spacer, but can he hang defensively with San Antonio’s guard attack. Is it a short leash situation where if the shot is falling, you take the defensive liability? McCain was obtained on February 3rd and didn’t play in the final meeting of the season between OKC and the Spurs. Like Mitchell, could McCain’s addition into the rotation provide a look the Spurs haven’t seen before from OKC?
  5. Turning Castle over – If there is a guard the Thunder could target with defensive pressure, it could be Steph Castle. The 2nd-year guard is averaging 3.1 turnovers per game in the playoffs, which is most on the team. His physicality lends itself to committing offensive fouls and being a bit careless with the ball at times. If the Thunder want to infuse any of their DNA into this series, it’s going to start on the defensive end with turning turnovers into points. They are first in the league this postseason in that category, scoring 22.9 points per game off turnovers.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Thunder preview (Game 41 of 82)

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  • San Antonio Spurs (27-12, 2nd in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (33-7, 1st in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 13 January 2026 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: NBC/Peacock and FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: SAS: 116.6 (7th) / OKC: 118.0 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating: SAS: 111.2 (3rd) / OKC: 105.4 (1st)
  • Net Rating: SAS: 5.4 (5th) / OKC: 12.6 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: SAS: 2-3 in their last 5 / OKC: Winners of 3 in a row and 7-2 in their last 9

The Set-Up

The next great rivalry. Two organizations that are foundationally very similar, appear to be on a path to establishing a rivalry that will likely lead us well into the 2030s. Two small market teams cut from the same cloth. One has already gotten the grand prize. The other appears to be a year behind, but on the same upward trajectory. Add to that, you have superstars, All-Stars, MVPs, All-NBA team members, All-Defense team members, DPOY candidates, 6MOY candidates on both rosters. It’s percolating and the NBA is hoping the eruption will occur later this season in the playoffs. The old guard may be starting to retire, but the NBA’s near future is in good hands

This is the fourth of five meetings this season between the Thunder and Spurs. The Spurs have won the first 3 meetings this season, with one of the those meetings being a 2-point difference (the Cup semifinal) and the other two being decided by an average of 17.5 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -8.5
  • O/U: 229.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Lu Dort – Questionable (foot)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)

SAS

  • Devin Vassell – OUT (adductor)

Three Big Things plus 2 more

  1. Dribble Penetration – One of the biggest failings in the first 3 games of the season against San Antonio has been our perimeter defense and the lack of penetration denial. De’Aaron Fox, Steph Castle, and Dylan Harper were able to get past the Thunder’s first line of defense pretty easily and get into the paint to cause havoc from there. Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, etc. were a step slow most times during those games and it put the onus squarely on Chet Holmgren’s shoulders to not only defend the dribble penetration but also keep an eye on the Spurs’ bigs.
  2. Get your get back – Oklahoma City may present themselves as a “0-0 mentality, this is just 1 of 82, the next game is the most important game” type bunch. And for the most part, it’s true. But don’t believe for a second that they didn’t have this game circled on their calendars once they lost on Christmas day. They want this game and they want it in blowout fashion. They hear what the basketball zeitgeist is saying. They know that they shit the bed the last couple times they’ve played the Spurs. And they are here to right some wrongs.
  3. Chet Holmgren – Speaking of getting your get back, Holmgren needs to step his game up and get over the mental block he has when facing off against Victor Wembanyama. The ironic thing is that for most of the time Holmgren has been on the floor, he’s been facing off against Luke Kornet, due to San Antonio starting Kornet in all three meetings and limiting Wembanyama to 23 minutes per game in the games against OKC. In the three games this season against San Antonio, Holmgren is averaging 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1 block on 41/25/71 shooting splits. That’s a far cry from his season averages of 18 points, 8 rebounds, and nearly 2 blocks on 57/37/77 shooting splits. In the previous meetings, Holmgren may have been dealing with back issues and illness, but he should be his healthiest in this meeting. Will the real Chet Holmgren please stand up!
  4. Normal Shooting – Can we please get a game where the shot making is normal? I mean, even for the Thunder. I’d like to see a game where shooting variance doesn’t rear it’s ugly head. Both teams shoot about 35% from deep. Let’s keep it there. No outliers, please (unless it’s OKC shooting the lights out ;-)
  5. Ajay Mitchell – One of the biggest things missing from the two blowout losses the Thunder suffered against the Spurs was the absence of Ajay Mitchell. With Mitchell out, the Thunder had only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the lone ball-handler/shot-creator on the team. Jalen Williams would normally fill that role, but his continued recovery from wrist surgery has hampered that part of his game. Mitchell adds another wrinkle to the Thunder’s offense (and defense) that could unlock parts of the game that were missing in the last two meetings between these two teams.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Thunder preview (Game 26 of 82, NBA Cup Semifinals)

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  • San Antonio Spurs (17-7, 5th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (24-1, 1st in the West)
  • When: Saturday, 13 December 2025 at 8:00pm CST
  • Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
  • TV: Prime Video
  • Offensive Rating: SAS: 118.6 (6th) / OKC: 120.5 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating: SAS: 114.4 (16th) / OKC: 103.3 (1st)
  • Net Rating: SAS: 4.2 (8th) / OKC: 17.2 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: SAS: Winners of 9 of their last 12 / OKC: Winners of 16 in a row

The Set-Up

The one thing missing from the Thunder’s trophy case last season was an NBA Cup title. It was the first test for the team that eventually became the champs and they were thoroughly out-physical’ed and outplayed. And it was probably the best thing for this team moving forward. It gave them a blueprint for what to expect heading into that postseason and what to expect moving forward as a championship contender. But this year, they know what to expect. They are the more physical team, usually. They know how to win in my ways: ugly, muddy, free-throw contest, physical, track meet, etc. The Thunder know how to win in any manner and that’s likely due to losing in the NBA Cup Final last season.

This is the first of five meetings this season between what many see as future championship-contending rivals. The rebuild hibernation seems to be over for the Spurs and they are now letting their young players spread their wings and see how far they can go. The Thunder went 2-1 last season against the Spurs, with their only loss being, ironically, in group play forΒ  the NBA Cup. Of course, there were other factors in that one loss, namely being that OKC had no healthy big men in that game.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -11
  • O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Joe – OUT (knee)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)

SAS

  • Victor Wembanyama – Probable (calf)

Five Big Things

  1. Different Looking Teams – Each team is coming into this game looking a bit different than what they’ve looked like lately. The Thunder are finally starting to get as healthy as they have been all season, with Isaiah Joe being the only rotational piece that will be out for this Cup semifinal. For the first time all season, the usual starting line-up of SGA, Dort, Dub, Chet, and Hartenstein has a chance to see the court together. On the other side, Victor Wembanyama is due to return from a calf strain that has kept him out since Nov. 14th. Despite all the injury setbacks, both teams have flexed their roster depth and find themselves as two of the top teams in the West, if not the NBA.
  2. Chet vs. Wemby – God, I love a good head-to-head match-up. The NBA has been trying to build this rivalry up since Wembanyama first entered the league in 2023. Injuries and the two teams being on different timelines have kept the rivalry from flourishing. But now…now seems like the right time for this thing to bubble over. Chet and Wemby seem to have a mutual respect, but also, a mutual animosity for each other. It feels very much like a 90’s match-up where social media and cell phones didn’t really give players access to other players unless they crossed paths in the All-Star game, shared an agent, or shared a brand. And the great thing about today’s match-up is that there are stakes involved. Win or go home. And also, I’ll see you two more times in the next two weeks.
  3. Rock Fight – While OKC may be a historic defense, the Spurs haven’t been too far behind in many statistical defensive categories. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson has done a great job of developing a culture similar to the Thunder’s, where the defense is their foundation and players like Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle are the offensive engines that score the points. Even with Wemby out, the Spurs have maintained their defensive principles and been great on that side of the ball. This could end up being a low-scoring affair.
  4. Creating Turnovers – The Spurs have three players that average over three turnovers per game. Stephon Castle (3.9), Wembanyama (3.6), and Fox (3.4) have the highest usage for the Spurs, but also the highest turnover rates. Dylan Harper averages 1.6 turnovers per game and will be facing probably the toughest he’s ever faced professionally. If the Thunder can generate their customary turnovers, it should fuel their transition offense and get them jump-started. In previous games against Wemby, the Thunder often swarm him and send doubles from different directions to keep him confused and create turnovers.
  5. Looking in the Mirror – The Spurs are coming into this game ready to prove themselves. Ready to show that they belong in the conversation for playoff contenders/championship contenders. They are in a position very similar to where the Thunder were last season. The Spurs will be hungry. Will the Thunder be hungrier? It’s the hunter vs. hunted mentality. The Thunder have played this season like they still have something to prove.

Sacramento Kings vs. Thunder preview (Game 5 of 82)

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  • Sacramento Kings (1-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0)
  • When: Tuesday, 28 October 2025 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: SAC: 111.8 (20th) / OKC: 113.6 (18th)
  • Defensive Rating: SAC: 114.0 (14th) / OKC: 104.4 (1st)
  • Net Rating: SAC: -2.2 (18th) / OKC: 9.2 (4th)

The Set-Up

It’s kind of crazy being a fan of a team who’s extremely proficient up and down the organization. From ownership to the front office to the coaching staff to the players (and this includes their G-League team), the Oklahoma City Thunder are as efficient as they effective. It’s always been one of their key tenants in building a team culture that targets purposeful action. Things that you see in other successful organizations: the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat, the Pittsburgh Steelers, etc. Organizations that from the top on down have an expectation and a plan to execute those expectations.

Annnnnnd then, there’s the Sacramento Kings. A team whose two decade-long status as a middling team has given rise to a nickname that acts as the alter ego to their wishes of a well run organization: the Kangz. The Kings of the early 2000’s that featured Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and Doug Christie were the darlings of the NBA. Unfortunately, they ran into the beginning run of the Shaq/Kobe Lakers and were never able to scale that mountain. From there, it’s been flub after flub that has kept the team at or near the middle and away from the talent of the early lottery. When they’ve had the opportunity to draft high in the lottery, they’ve completely blown it (namely, 2018 when they drafted Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic). When they’ve gotten good young talent (De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis), they haven’t been able to build a team around them and sustain any type of success. Now, they are just trying their best to stay above water which will net them another middle of the pack season where they will be in the high lottery. Thank the basketball gods that I reside in Oklahoma.

This is the first of three meetings this season between the Kings and Thunder. The Thunder swept the season series last year, winning by an average of 23.7 points and have won five in a row against the Kings.

Betting Info presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -10.5
  • O/U: 227.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (back soreness)
  • Isaiah Joe – OUT (knee)
  • Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee – ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (testicular procedure)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (wrist)
  • Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

SAC

  • Nique Clifford – OUT (hamstring)
  • Keegan Murray – OUT (thumb)

Three Big Things

  1. Strengths vs. Weaknesses – The Sacramento Kings are defensively weak on the interior. They allow 56 points per game in the paint (24th), 22.3 points off turnovers (28th), 18.3 second chance points (24th), and are last in the league in rebounds grabbed. Conversely, the Thunder score 54.5 points in the paint (10th), 22.3 points off turnovers (5th), and are 4th in the league in rebounds, which opens up the opportunity for 2nd chance points.
  2. Two-big Lineup – One of the biggest storylines heading into this season was whether the Thunder would continue to lean into the 2-big lineup or start to move away from it. Four games in, the Thunder have started the 2-big lineup in all the games and each of the big men is averaging a double/double. Last season, in 316 minutes played, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein had an offensive rating of 122.9, a defensive rating of 109.4, and a net rating of 13.5. This season, the offensive rating is 123.1, the defensive rating is 104.3, and the net rating is 18.8. In 2-man lineups that have played at least 80 minutes (20 minutes/game), the 2-big line-up is second behind the SGA/Cason Wallace 2-man lineup. In short, the two-big lineup is working much better so far this season.
  3. Russell Westbrook – There may not be too many more opportunities to see the King of the Prairie in his original field of play. Russell Westbrook was who OKC needed when they needed a hero the most. We all know what Russ means to the franchise. He’ll be the second number in the rafters and the first statue outside the arena. He’ll likely have a street in the city named after him. But we all saw how uneasy it was waiting for Westbrook to sign with the Kings a week before the season started. We don’t know when the end will come, but we all know the end is near. So appreciate any opportunity to cheer Westbrook on. On this team, he is no longer a threat like he was with the Denver Nuggets. Do what we do and give the man a raucous applause when he enters the game…because we don’t know how many more times we have to do this.

Thunder @ Golden State Warriors preview (Game 12 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (7-4) @ Golden State Warriors (6-6)
  • When: Thursday, 16 November 2023 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
  • Offensive Rating – GS: 112.5 (15th) / OKC: 113.9 (9th)
  • Defensive Rating – GS: 110.5 (9th) / OKC: 109.2 (7th)
  • Net Rating – GS: 2.1 (11th) / OKC: 4.7 (6th)

The Set-Up

Catching breaks. In an 82-game season, there are times where you just catch a break. Maybe you catch a team where you are their 5th game in 7 nights. Sometimes you catch a team that is resting their (“injured”) star(s). Sometimes you just catch a team on an off-night. But there’s a duality in catching a team in a bad state. The other part to the equation is you have to come out and take advantage of the situation. When the Thunder played the Sacramento Kings nearly a week ago, they faced a Kings team that had lost 3 of their last 4 previous games and was without their star guard in De’Aaron Fox. The Thunder came out and completely laid an egg and lost, not just a regular season game, but an In-Season Tournament game.

The Thunder come into this game facing a Warriors team that is missing Steph Curry and Draymond Green. With all that said, this is still a dangerous squad. Game 6 Klay is always lurking, Andrew Wiggins used to be one of the biggest thorns in the Thunder’s side back a couple of seasons ago, and Chris Paul can always conjure up magic from time to time. The Thunder need to take advantage of the circumstances that have presented themselves and win these next two games.

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

GS

  • Steph Curry (knee) – Out
  • Draymond Green (suspension) – Out

Three Big Things

  1. Rebounding – I know this has been an issue all season. But rebounding is one of those things that can equalize a game for a team that is missing some of their key rotational pieces. Allowing a team like the Warriors extra possessions is not a recipe for success. The Thunder have done a better job of gang rebounding, but still rank near the bottom in every rebounding statistical category.
  2. SGA – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t play in the last Warriors game due to sprained knee. Even with his absence, the Thunder nearly won their last meeting against Golden State. Oklahoma City did a great job of attacking the lane and looking for the open shooter. It was almost Golden State’esque. With SGA in the line-up, the Thunder should be able to do even more damage on the interior, especially with the absence of Draymond Green.
  3. Limit the Others – This feels like the type of trap game where someone like Moses Moody or Jonathan Kuminga could go off for their career highs. Or someone like Dario Saric could have a “Wow that’s what he looked like before all the injuries” kind of game. The Thunder cannot be lulled into a false sense of security with Curry and Green out for the game.

Thunder @ Sacramento Kings preview (Game 9 of 82 / In-Season Tournament Game #2)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (5-3) @ Sacramento Kings (3-4)
  • When: Friday, 10 November 2023 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
  • Offensive Rating – SAC: 109.3 (20th) / OKC: 115.2 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating – SAC: 113.4 (18th) / OKC: 113.9 (20th)
  • Net Rating – SAC: -4.1 (21st) / OKC: 1.3 (15th)

The Set-Up

The In-Season Tournament has actually succeeded in making some games matter in a time when regular season games usually don’t. I know. I know. Spare me the “all 82 games of the regular season matter” speech. If you’re a die-hard like me, you truly enjoy all 82 games. But to the lay fan, the only games that matter to them most of the time are the marquee games in the regular season and the playoffs. With this In-Season Tournament though, these four “group-play” games matter a ton if a team actually wants to make it to the elimination round and beyond.

Which is where the Thunder currently find themselves. After losing a heart-breaker to the Warriors in their first In-Season Tournament game, the Thunder now sit behind the 8-ball if their have any aspirations of playing in more than just these four “group-play” games. Two of their next 3 games are In-Season games and these are the two that would likely be considered very winnable.

Injury Report

OKC

  • Kenrich Williams (back) – Out

SAC

  • De’Aaron Fox (ankle) – Out
  • Trey Lyles (calf) – Out

Three Large Items

  1. Darn Injuries – The Sacramento Kings have struggled a bit coming out of the gates this season. While there are more than a few reasons for the struggle, the biggest reason is the absence of point guard De’Aaron Fox. He’s missed the last four games and the Kings are 1-3 without him. He is the engine that made one of the best offenses run last season and his loss has severely affected how Sacramento plays. Last season, the Kings were 12th in pace. This season, 24th. Another damning stat: last season the Kings were 13th in percentage of points off the fast break. This year, dead last.
  2. Attack the Rim – The Kings rank 18th in blocks per game. While not necessarily an indicator of how well a defense plays, Domantas Sabonis has never really been known as a rim protector. With SGA and Chet Holmgren getting more comfortable with each other on the offensive end with every game played together, this may be a situation where the Thunder can generate some easy looks based on the gravity those two players would command.
  3. Little House of Horrors – Sacramento has historically been a tough place for the Thunder to play. I’ve always called their arena(s) our little houses of horror. With what’s at stake with the In-Season Tournament, here’s hoping the Thunder man up a bit and prevent the Kings from lighting the beam.

Kings vs. Thunder preview (Game 3 of 82)

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kingsΒ vsΒ okc logo

  • When: Sunday, 21 October 2018 at 6:00 pm CST
  • Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: FSOK
  • Radio:Β WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -10.0 | O/U: 217.5

One of the biggest issues last season for the Oklahoma City Thunder was not winning the games they were supposed to win. Last season, the Thunder were 26-14 against non-playoff opponents. That, by itself, isn’t terrible. It’s a .650 winning percentage, which is great in any league. But when combined with the Thunder’s record against playoff teams (22-20), that’s where the problem lies. Continue reading →