Tag Archives: Denver Nuggets

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Thunder preview (Game 81 of 82)

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  • Milwaukee Bucks (49-31, 2nd in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (55-25, 3rd in the West)
  • When: Friday, 12 April 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – MIL: 118.0 (5th) / OKC: 118.1 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – MIL: 114.9 (18th) / OKC: 111.5 (4th)
  • Net Rating – MIL: 3.2 (8th) / OKC: 6.6 (2nd)

The Set-Up

The Play-In tournament is working. Even though the post-season participants have been known for a while now, the positioning of the majority of those teams is still in the air. And that makes games in April matter. Whether it’s trying to avoid the 9/10 game or trying to avoid the play-in games altogether, most teams are still playing with fervor with 1-2 games left to play. That was basically unheard of in years past. April games were very similar to summer league games, where NBA hopefuls and team developmental players would get their opportunity to shine. Now we are still seeing guys like LeBron and Steph battle it out trying to move up out of the 9/10 game. It makes for a fun 82-game season, instead of the usual 75-game season plus 7-game G-League showcase at the end of the season.

This is the 2nd and final meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder were soundly defeated by the Bucks in late March by a score of 118-93. A game in which the Thunder likely played their worst third quarter of the season, getting outscored 34-17 and shooting just 24% from the field for those 12 minutes.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -14.5
  • O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Josh Giddey (hip) – Questionable

MIL

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) – OUT
  • AJ Green (ankle) – OUT
  • Damian Lillard (adductor) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Playoff Seeding – Milwaukee and OKC find themselves in similar situations when it comes to playoff seeding. OKC still has the opportunity to get the No. 1 seed in the West, but would need a divine miracle for the Nuggets to lose to both the Spurs and Grizzlies in their last two games of the season. The battle for No. 2 and 3 likely hinges on how serious the Thunder and Timberwolves take these last two games. Both teams are tied as far as record is concerned, but Minnesota holds the tie-breaker due to their better conference record. Minnesota plays Atlanta, who is already locked into the 10th seed in the East, and Phoenix, who could still be battling for the 6th seed in the West. OKC plays Milwaukee, who is still battling for the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the East, and Dallas, who is basically locked into the 5th seed in the West. OKC would need to win out and hope Minnesota loses one of their last two games in order to secure the 2nd seed.
  2. SGA – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played with so much vigor since he returned from a 4-game absence due to a quad injury. In the two games he’s played (on a back to back, at that), SGA has averaged 33 points, 7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2 stocks on 54/50/84 shooting splits. That burst with zero hesitation on the drives is back. And so is the swag of the team. When Sacramento had the Thunder down by 20 in the first half on Tuesday, you just had the feeling that SGA would will the Thunder back. When he is on, the Thunder have a different feel about them.
  3. Bobby “Michael Jordan” Portis – For the season, Bobby Portis is averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. But for some reason, in the seven games Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed, Bobby Portis turns into Robert Portis with a grown man game. In those seven games, Portis averages 23.7 points and 10.4 rebounds. Here’s hoping he has a Bobby Portis game and not a Robert Portis game.

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

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  • 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 @ New Orleans Pelicans preview (Game 71 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (49-21, 2nd in the West) @ New Orleans Pelicans (44-27, 4th in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 26 March 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
  • Offensive Rating – NO: 117.0 (10th) / OKC: 118.6 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating – NO: 111.4 (6th) / OKC: 111.4 (5th)
  • Net Rating – NO: 5.6 (4th) / OKC: 7.3 (2nd)

The Set-Up

For months, the big four in the Western Conference has been the Thunder, the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, and the Clippers. It was almost a forgone conclusion that those would be the top-4 seeds in the West. But lo and behold, a challenger has arisen from the Gulf Coast. For much of the first half of the season, New Orleans’ season was viewed as a disappointment. Injuries to key contributors like Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado had sapped a lot of the depth the Pelicans had. Zion Williamson was once again fighting the battle of the bulge…and losing. The turning point in the season for Zion (and for the Pelicans) was an embarrassing 133-89 loss to the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinals that saw Zion get outscored, outworked, and outclassed by LeBron James.

Since then, New Orleans has gone 32-16 and Zion has reworked his game and his body to become his most optimal self. Williamson is noticeably slimmer than he was earlier in the season and his game has transformed itself into more of a point-Zion trajectory. He handles the ball more off boards and is second on the team in assists per game. The lost weight has allowed Zion to look more like Duke Zion and has made him a force to be reckoned with anytime he is remotely close to the basket.

This is the third and final meeting of the season between these two teams. On November 1st, Oklahoma City squandered an early 22-point lead in the first game to end up on the losing end of things, 106-110. The Thunder returned the favor in late January, handling the Pelicans easily in New Orleans, 107-83.

Magic Numbers

  • To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 0 (Locked In)
  • To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 5

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -1.5
  • O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

NO

  • Dyson Daniels (knee) – OUT
  • Brandon Ingram (knee) – OUT

Three Keys Things

  1. Rebounding – I know, I know. The Thunder have gotten better at rebounding in the 2nd half of the season. And, yes, the Thunder have slowly proven that if they can beat you at nearly every other aspect of the game, the rebounding becomes a moot point. But against a team like New Orleans, those 2nd chance points can tilt the game in their favor. The Pelicans are a top-10 team in 2nd chance scoring and the Thunder, of course, are still one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. Jonas Valanciunas has always terrorized the Thunder on the boards and tonight should be no different. It’s making sure that the Pelicans don’t make the Thunder pay on those 2nd chance opportunities.
  2. SGA – Ever since the MVP discussion has gotten louder, SGA’s game has, unfortunately, petered off. Be it fatigue, wear & tear, injury, how teams are defending him, or all of the above, SGA just doesn’t feel like he has the same gear as he did pre-ASB. Hopefully it’s just a slump and he can work himself out of it. Many people forget that Jokic went through an early season slump that had many asking if he was out of shape from the celebratory off-season. Every player goes through periods like this. It just so happens that it’s louder for SGA because of where we’re at in the season.
  3. Prime-time Match-Up – Despite New Orleans’ slow start to the season, they’ve been one of the best teams in the league over the past 2 months. And the Thunder have been about as consistent as they come. As we head into the playoffs, these are the types of match-ups that can serve as “canaries in the coal mine” to see where the Thunder are mentally heading into their first postseason as a collective.

Indiana Pacers vs. Thunder preview (Game 65 of 82)

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  • Indiana Pacers (36-29, 7th in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (45-19, 1st in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 12 March 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – IND: 120.1 (2nd) / OKC: 119.1 (3rd)
  • Defensive Rating – IND: 118.5 (25th) / OKC: 111.3 (4th)
  • Net Rating – IND: 1.5 (12th) / OKC: 7.9 (2nd)

The Set-Up

This is the first of two meetings this season between these two teams. Their next and final meeting is on April 5th.

Magic Numbers

  • To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 8
  • To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 11

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -6.5
  • O/U: 240.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Jalen Williams (ankle) – Questionable

IND

  • Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) – OUT
  • Doug McDermott (calf) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. High Scoring Affair – These are two of the top offenses in the league. If there is a team that is the modern version of the “7 Seconds or Less” Suns, it’s the Indiana Pacers. They are 2nd in the league in pace and lead the league in Effective FG%, field goals made, and points in the paint. Their offensive system is top-notch. To slow this down, the Thunder may need to do something they aren’t accustomed to: they may need to slow the pace down themselves. Muddy the game a bit and have Indiana play in slosh.
  2. Attack the Paint – The Pacers’ Achilles heel is their interior defense. It’s bad. Like, Washington Wizards bad. The Pacers allow the 2nd most points in the paint, ahead of the Wizards by just a tenth of a point. The Thunder, meanwhile, are the 8th best team at scoring in the paint. Methinks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may find himself in the painted area a lot this game.
  3. Statement Game – Speaking of the aforementioned SGA, Nikola Jokic is making a late-season push to distance himself from SGA in the MVP race. The Nuggets are 9-1 in the 10 games since the All-Star break and Joker is putting up monster triple-doubles seemingly every game. At this point, with the narrative going around, keeping OKC in the top spot in the West may not be enough to win SGA the MVP. That trophy is usually won by magical moments, especially late in the season. For as great as SGA’s consistency is, his lack of an explosive game here or there, may be hurting his MVP campaign. I know, I know…”what more do you want him to do?” But the reality is that statement games matter in the MVP races.

Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers preview (Game 61 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (42-18, 1st in the West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (33-29, 10th in the West)
  • When: Monday, 04 March 2024 at 9:30pm CST
  • Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  • Offensive Rating – LAL: 114.7 (17th) / OKC: 119.3 (3rd)
  • Defensive Rating – LAL: 115.3 (17th) / OKC: 111.4 (4th)
  • Net Rating – LAL: -0.6 (19th) / OKC: 8.0 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Back at the top. While the Thunder have been battling for the top stop the entire season, they haven’t really done that great of a job of holding on to the title when they get it. Tonight presents another opportunity to hold on to 1st place in the Western Conference. But a loss tonight, coupled with a likely Minnesota victory (they play Portland), could knock OKC back to #2, sitting tied with Denver in the standings. Luckily, OKC owns the tiebreaker with Denver and would get the higher seeding.

This is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between these two teams. The Thunder won the first meeting 133-110 in OKC in late November. The Lakers returned the favor a couple weeks later, again in OKC, winning 129-120. The Lakers then beat OKC in Los Angeles in January, 112-105.

Magic Numbers

  • To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 12
  • To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 16

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -1.5
  • O/U: 238.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Jaylin Williams (knee) – Day to Day

LAL

  • Colin Castleton (wrist) – OUT
  • Anthony Davis (achilles) – Probable
  • LeBron James (ankle) – Questionable
  • Cam Reddish (ankle) – Probable
  • Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) – OUT
  • Gabe Vincent (knee) – OUT
  • Christian Wood (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Physicality – It’s funny because there are a lot of things that OKC and the Lakers do very similarly, despite the difference in their records. They are both poor rebounding teams who push the pace and shoot efficiently. Where they differ is in the amount of physicality the players are able to exert. LeBron James has game worn jerseys that are older than some of the players on the Thunder. Chet Holmgren was 10 years old when Anthony Davis started his career. It will be on the Thunder’s young core to either be quicker than the Lakers for the majority of the game or be purposefully more physical than the Lakers.
  2. Get in transition – The Lakers are the 5th worst team at stopping fast break points. The Thunder generate a lot of their offense in transition. It would benefit them to get fast break opportunities throughout the game and take advantage of them.
  3. Pack the paint – The Lakers are the worst team at generating points from the 3-point line. They score 55.1% of their points from 2-point territory (2nd in the league) and only 29.2% of their points from deep. The Thunder’s defensive scheme plays into this.

Houston Rockets vs. Thunder preview (Game 58 of 82)

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  • Houston Rockets (25-32, 12th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-17, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 27 February 2024 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: PayCom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – HOU: 112.8 (24th) / OKC: 119.6 (3rd)
  • Defensive Rating – HOU: 112.8 (8th) / OKC: 111.4 (4th)
  • Net Rating – HOU: -0.1 (18th) / OKC: 8.2 (2nd)

The Set-Up

I’ve never solved the puzzle that is the Rubik Cube. I try and then eventually just give up. And I’ve never really done a deep dive into how to solve it either. But to some people, the Rubik Cube became an obsession. They researched it, spoke to people who had solved it before, and kept trying. Eventually, they figured the trick to the Cube and solved it. Now, you have people that can solve a Rubik Cube in less than a minute.

This season has been a lot like the solving of the Rubik Cube for the Thunder. Some teams flummoxed OKC early on, but through research (game film) and speaking with experts (Coach Daigneault), the Thunder have begun to figure teams out. Denver completely demolished the Thunder early in the season. Then the Thunder won the next three. Sacramento has given OKC issues for the past few seasons. The Thunder now seem to have figured that puzzle out. Houston plays like world-beaters every time their opponent has OKC written on their jersey. The Thunder turned a 16-point deficit into a 13-point victory on Sunday. Here’s hoping the puzzle of bad starts against Houston gets solved tonight.

This is the third of four meetings this season between these two teams. Houston dominated OKC in their first meeting in Houston, winning 110-101 (it wasn’t that close). OKC returned the favor on Sunday, winning 123-110. Their final meeting of the season will be on March 27th.

Magic Numbers

  • To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 16
  • To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 19

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -9.5
  • O/U: 235.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

HOU

  • Steven Adams (knee) – OUT
  • Tari Eason (lower leg) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. The Josh Giddey conundrum – The Houston Rockets were the first team this season to really lean on the “put the center on Giddey and let them roam” defense that OKC has been seeing over the past two months. In Sunday’s game, the Thunder involved Giddey in a lot more action around the floor (pick and rolls, off-ball action, etc) to cause the defense to react to the movement. The beautiful thing about a home and home is that it almost has the feel of a playoff series where adjustments are made from game to game. It will be interesting to see how Houston adjusts to OKC putting Giddey in motion on the offensive end.
  2. Attack the paint – Houston has prioritized in long-winged perimeter defenders such as Tari Eason, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, and Amen Thompson. Where they lack is on the interior. While it may be a chore in getting into the paint, once they arrive, there isn’t much stopping from getting to the rim. For as good as Alperen Sengun has been on the offensive end, the defensive struggles are starting to become more and more apparent with every passing day.
  3. Gordon Hayward – While it has looked a little clunky, I think the Hayward trade will turn out to be very successful for the Thunder. He has yet to take a three in the three games he has played with OKC. That means one of two things for me: either Hayward is still figuring out where on the floor to be in order to compliment OKC’s big 3 or defenders are staying closer to Hayward than they would someone like, oh, I don’t know, Josh Giddey, and giving the big 3 more space to operate. I’m calling my shot: Hayward hits two 3-pointers tonight.

Thunder @ Utah Jazz preview (Game 51 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (35-15, 1st in the West) @ Utah Jazz (25-26, 10th in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 06 February 2024 at 8:00pm CST
  • Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Offensive Rating – UTA: 115.6 (16th) / OKC: 119.3 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating – UTA: 117.9 (25th) / OKC: 111.2 (4th)
  • Net Rating – UTA: -2.3 (23rd) / OKC: 8.1 (2nd)

The Set-Up

The top-4 teams in the Western Conference are separated by half a game. HALF A GAME! A rough night at the office and a team could tumble from 1st to 4th pretty quickly. The Thunder have gone from hardly playing any games of consequence over the last three seasons to playing a game of consequence almost nightly. The Thunder and Timberwolves have seemingly been tit for tat for the better part of the new year. The Clippers are the hottest team in the league right now and the Nuggets likely haven’t even started playing their best brand of basketball yet.

With all that said, I’ve been very impressed by Oklahoma City’s poise and maturity throughout the season. The start the season as the “hunters” and still have the same hunger and focus once they became the “hunted”, takes a perspective way beyond the age of most of the players of the roster. Once they win the games, though, you see this team’s age in their post-game interviews. Here’s to continuing to win while young.

This is the third meeting of the season between these two division rivals. The Thunder have won the previous two, 134-120 in December and 134-129 in January. Their fourth and final meeting of the season is on March 20th.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -3.5
  • O/U: 240.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Davis Bertans (knee) – Questionable
  • Ousmane Dieng (hip) – Questionable
  • Isaiah Joe (chest) – OUT
  • Vasilije Micic (ankle) – Questionable
  • Cason Wallace (shoulder) – Questionable
  • Lindy Waters III (ankle) – Questionable
  • Jalen Williams (ankle) – Questionable
  • Jaylin Williams (Achilles) – Questionable

UTA

  • Ochai Agbaji (illness) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Trade Deadline Shenanigans – The game before the trade deadline and the game after the trade deadline always have the possibilities of being weird, roster-wise. The Thunder haven’t had an injury report that looked like that all season long. And now, the game before the trade deadline, half the roster is on the injury report. It may mean something. It may mean nothing. But it’s always shenanigans.
  2. Turn them over – The Utah Jazz are the most turnover-prone team in the league. They don’t have any real “floor-general” type players. All their point guards are undersized combo guards that aren’t great at playmaking. This plays immensely into what the Thunder do best defensively and what they like to do offensively (transition).
  3. Rebounding – Conversely, where the Jazz are great, the Thunder struggle. If the Thunder can’t turn the Jazz over and this turns into a half-court affair, the Thunder will need all-hands on deck in the rebounding department. Between Walker Kessler, John Collins, and Lauri Markkanen, the Jazz boast three guys that average 7.4 rebounds or more per game. The Thunder have only one in Chet Holmgren (7.5 rebounds per game).

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Thunder preview (Game 47 of 82)

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  • Minnesota Timberwolves (32-14, 2nd in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (32-14, 1st in the West)
  • When: Monday, 29 January 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – MIN: 114.2 (19th) / OKC: 119.4 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating – MIN: 108.9 (1st) / OKC: 111.3 (4th)
  • Net Rating – MIN: 5.2 (6th) / OKC: 8.1 (2nd)

The Set-Up

All I could think about yesterday as the clock was counting down on the Thunder’s loss to the Pistons was the scene in Avengers: Infinitiy War where Thanos is speaking to Red Skull on how to obtain the Soul Stone and Red Skull responds with “A soul for a Soul”. I rewind back to Saturday night, as I was cheering the San Antonio Spurs on for beating the Thunder’s current rivals, the Minnesota Timberwolves. At the time, I remember thinking, “Yes! We’re now officially a half game up on Minnesota and we play Detroit tomorrow.”

The assumption was that OKC would take care of business against the Pistons and put themselves a full game up on Minnesota in the standings heading into their Monday night tussle. Damn you, trap game. The Thunder were caught looking ahead and played one of their worst games of the season. The 16-point defeat was the Thunder’s worse since they lost to Denver by 33 in the third game of the season. The mentality of going from the hunter to the hunted is something that is new to this young Thunder squad. When you are on top, you get everyone’s best shot.

This is the final meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder lead the season series 2-1.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -2.5
  • O/U: 224.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Tre Mann (personal) – Day to Day

MIN

  • Jaylen Clark (Achilles) – OUT
  • Mike Conley (hamstring) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Turn Them Over – Minnesota isn’t very adept at protecting the ball. They turn the ball over at the third worst clip in the league, averaging 15.2 turnovers per game. Conversely, the Thunder do a great job at protecting the ball (4th best) and score the most points in the league off of turnovers (20 per game). If the Thunder win this battle, they likely win the game.
  2. Pace – The Thunder love to run the pace up a bit against Minnesota, in order to prevent them from getting into their defense. If you allow Rudy Gobert to set-up in the paint, it makes it that much more difficult for the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to play their brand of basketball. The Thunder are 6th in the league at Fastbreak Points, while the Timberwolves are 4th best at defending against Fastbreak Points. If the Thunder can up the pressure because of their pace, it plays more into their brand of basketball.
  3. Lots at stake – Win today, and you win the season series against the Timberwolves outright. Meaning that if a tie occurs at the end of the season, the Thunder would finish ahead of Minnesota because of their head to head matchups. In addition, the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers don’t appear to be slowing down. Keeping pace with them will help the Thunder keep them at bay.

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.

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!