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San Antonio Spurs vs. Thunder preview (Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals)

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  • #2 San Antonio Spurs (9-3) vs. #1 Oklahoma City (8-1)
  • When: Wednesday, 20 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: 116.3 (3rd) / OKC: 123.3 (1st)
  • Playoff Defensive Rating (of the remaining playoff teams): SAS: 102.2 (1st) / OKC: 108.9 (3rd)
  • Playoff Net Rating (of the remaining playoff teams): SAS: 14.0 (3rd) / OKC: 14.4 (2nd)
  • Series Record: SAS leads 1-0

The Tip-Off

So this is what it must’ve felt like to go against Wilt Chamberlain in late 50s/early 60s. Or what NBA centers must’ve felt when Shaquille O’Neal first entered the league in the 90s. To see someone so physically imposing move in ways that defy what you’ve seen before is what legends are made of. But when it’s happening to your team in real time, it’s gut-wrenching. In Game 1, Victor Wembanyama dominated to the tune of 41 points and 24 rebounds. He used his length (and the fear of his length) to his advantage. Ironically, while in the “walk-up” tunnel as Wemby was passing us by, myself and Suave Report’s Addam Francisco were discussing before the game the different strategies OKC may employ to defend Wembanyama. And I, stupidly tempting the basketball gods, said, “I don’t really think we need to focus on him on the offensive end. It’s not like he’s consistently beating teams by putting up 40 point/20 rebound games.” As Taylor Swift has famously said before, “It’s me, hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.” Here’s hoping some course-correcting juju goes OKC’s way in Game 2.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -6.5
  • O/U: 216.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

SAS

  • De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (ankle)

Five Big Things

  1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – The current, reigning MVP has got to be better in Game 2. He scored 24 points on 23 shots and was a team worst -15 while he was on the floor. But it wasn’t necessarily just the misses. It was also the hesitancy to get to his shots up because of Wembanyama and the Spurs’ defense. And I get it. Just look at the article picture. That’s three Spurs players laser-focused on SGA. The correct basketball play says that SGA should pass to a more open teammate in that situation. But, the Thunder aren’t going to win if SGA is only attempting 5 field goals in a half (which is what he did in the first half of Game 1). San Antonio took the game to the Thunder in Game 1. SGA has to lead the charge for OKC to do that in Game 2.
  2. Random Role-Player Game – Losing any game in the playoffs can be painful. But losing a game where Alex Caruso goes off for 31 points on 8-14 shooting from deep is nerve-piercing, migraine-inducing painful. The Thunder usually aren’t the beneficiaries of the “random role-player going off” game. Honestly, it’s usually done to them. Will we ever see another game like this from Caruso? Will we get a Jared McCain or Isaiah Joe game like this? If San Antonio is going to sell on keeping all of the Thunder’s players out of the paint, we are likely going to need similar nights from someone other than OKC’s core quartet (SGA, Dub, Chet, and Ajay).
  3. The Puzzle that is Wemby – This is going to be the conundrum that the league is going to have to figure out for likely the next decade. Wembanyama completely changes the geometry of the court on the defensive end. He instills fear in drivers and turns teams into jump-shooting versions of themselves. While his basketball IQ is high, he can be hyper-focused on getting blocks. This could work in OKC’s favor if SGA or Dub can get Wembanyama to bite on some pump-fakes. Wemby was foul-less for most of the game and then racked up 4 fouls pretty quickly. It happened later in the game, so it didn’t really affect his time on the floor, but if those fouls are picked up earlier in the game, it may for San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson to sit Wemby for more stretches in the game.
  4. Starting Lineup Change? – In the second half of Game 1, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault started Cason Wallace in place of Isaiah Hartenstein. The “Wemby + 4 guards/shooters” line-up made it difficult to keep both bigs out there for an extended period of time. At the beginning of the game, OKC saw themselves down 7-0 early with San Antonio targeting Hartenstein in pick and roll action. The downside to sitting Hartenstein is that you lose your muscle and rebounding up front (of which, iHart wasn’t very good in Game 1 with only 2 rebounds). It may be up to the guards of OKC to focus more on getting defensive rebounds and helping Chet up front if he is the lone big.
  5. Ajay Mitchell – The belle of the ball in the first two rounds of the playoffs looked a little pumpkin-ish in Game 1. He had 4 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, but only took 5 shots in his 34 minutes of action. A lot like SGA, Mitchell has to figure out how to navigate the waters with Wemby out there. Dribble penetration and paint touches are the name of Mitchell’s game, but that’s also where Wemby patrols most often. OKC really needs Mitchell to be a factor, especially in bench lineups where Wembanyama may be on the bench.

Thunder @ Phoenix Suns preview (Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals)

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  • #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0) @ #8 Phoenix Suns (0-3)
  • When: Monday, 27 April 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ
  • TV: Peacock
  • Series Record: OKC leads 3-0

The Tip-Off

The Slog. It’s what I like to call Game 4’s the Oklahoma City Thunder are involved in. Over the last two postseasons prior to this year’s, the Thunder have gone 6-0 in Game 4’s. But the average margin of victory in those games was just 4.7 points, with the largest margin of victory being 8 points. Two of those games were decided by just two points (against Memphis and Minnesota). In three of those series (against Dallas, Denver, and Indiana), the Thunder were facing a 2-1 series deficit and NEEDED Game 4 to even the series. The one constant in all of those games has been the performance of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In the six Game 4’s from the last two postseasons, SGA has averaged 32.7 points on 47% shooting from the field, 6.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1 block.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -11.5
  • O/U: 214.5

Injury Report

OKC

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

PHX

  • Jordan Goodwin – Questionable (calf)
  • Mark Williams – OUT (foot)

Three Big Things

  1. Next Man Up – With Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe both missing Game 3, the “next man up” mentality shifted over to Aaron Wiggins and Jared McCain both getting significant playoff minutes. And each played their role well. McCain came into the game and played that hybrid “Isaiah Joe/Ajay Mitchell” role and scored 7 quick points in the second quarter. Wiggins played 11 minutes, and while there was anything spectacular about his performance, he was a +8 in the game during that time. This is a testament to coach Mark Daigneault and his insistence on keeping players ready throughout the regular season.
  2. Chet Holmgren – Phoenix is still without Mark Williams, and while Oso Ighodaro had a good bounce-back game in Game 3, the center position is still a point of weakness in the Suns’ lineup. Holmgren struggled a little on offense in that game, especially with the absence of Dub, who opens up so many opportunities for Holmgren in the halfcourt. I think we a little more big to big action in this game to exploit Phoenix’s size deficiency.
  3. Just Get It Done – As we’ve seen in the early going of these playoffs, the postseason eventually turns into a war of attrition. Last postseason, we saw injuries to Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Aaron Gordon, and to a lesser extend, Dub and Chet, all have effects on their teams’ playoff performances. This postseason, we’ve seen Donte DiVencenzo and Anthony Edwards both go down with serious injuries within minutes of each other. Victor Wembanyama was concussed for a game and a half. Peyton Watson, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have yet to play a game in the playoffs. Kevin Durant has only played in one game. And Gordon and Dub are back dealing with soft tissue injuries. The less time you need to play, the less possibility you have of injuries occurring. As Daigneault has been known to say, “We can only control what we can control,” and winning Game 4 is definitely something they can control.

Thunder @ Phoenix Suns preview (Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals)

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  • #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0) @ #8 Phoenix Suns (0-2)
  • When: Saturday, 25 April 2026 at 2:30pm CST
  • Where: Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ
  • TV: NBC/Peacock
  • Series Record: OKC leads 2-0

The Tip-Off

The grabbing of the back of the leg and then the ginger walking. Two of the worst things you want to see from one of your best players when your team is in the postseason. The Lakers dealt with that a week before the playoffs started with Luka Doncic. Denver has been dealing with seemingly for the past year with Aaron Gordon’s hamstring and now Peyton Watson’s hamstring. And, of course, the Thunder this season with Jalen Williams. The major difference is that Oklahoma City has done a good job of weathering the storm in Dub’s absences. Discounting the last two games of the season, in which most of the top rotational players for OKC sat, the Thunder were 39-8 in games that Williams missed due to injury. That’s an 83% win percentage. I’m in no way saying that the Thunder can win a championship without Dub. But they are pretty well equipped to manage the loss until he can return and they have the experience from this past season to lean on.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -8.5
  • O/U: 212.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Joe – OUT (personal)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

PHX

  • Grayson Allen – Questionable (hamstring)
  • Jordan Goodwin – Questionable (calf)
  • Mark Williams – OUT (foot)

Three Big Things

  1. Adapt To The Officiating – Referees are humans. We’ve seen how they’ve changed how they ref SGA due to pressure from the narrative-driven outside world. Now, that usually normalizes itself, but peer pressure, even from people you don’t know, is truly a thing. With OKC’s depth taking a bit of a hit with Dub and Isaiah Joe being out, it would behoove OKC to play smart on defense and avoid getting into any foul trouble.
  2. Control The Perimeter – For the playoffs, the Suns rank dead last in points in the paint. Part of that is that OKC is playing defense against them. But the majority of the reason for that is that Phoenix is just not a driving team. They don’t have a great play-maker, don’t have a great inside presence, and they generate most of their offense from the perimeter. Phoenix started hitting more shots in Game 2 and OKC needs to do their part to make sure Phoenix doesn’t stay comfortable shooting from outside.
  3. Ajay Mitchell – With the loss of Jalen Williams, so much more of the offensive load will rest on Mitchell’s shoulders. Whether he starts or not, I can definitely see more time for Mitchell with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, especially if we see early on, that Phoenix is doubling or blitzing SGA every time he touches the ball.

Phoenix Suns vs. Thunder preview (Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals)

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  • #8 Phoenix Suns (0-0) vs. #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0)
  • When: Sunday, 19 April 2026 at 2:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: ABC
  • Series Record: 0-0

The Tip-Off

We’re finally here. October 21st, 2025, aka Ring Night, truly feels like it was years ago. The Thunder hoisting up the Larry O’Brien trophy on June 22nd, 2025, might as well have been a decade ago. The regular season this year didn’t feel like a statement it was the last two previous season. Instead, it felt like a slog. Like you were walking in wet cement as it begins to solidify. When you accomplish the ultimate goal in team sports, have a shortened offseason, and bring back basically the same roster, the regular season can, at times, feel like it takes on less meaning. Add to that, the list of walking wounded the Thunder trotted in night in and night out and the unspoken human nature component of “why try ridiculously hard every evening, if the ultimate prize lays at the end of a rainbow where you have to arrive as healthy as possible,” and now you see why the regular season felt a bit more joyless this year. And yet, with all that, as true Oklahomans can attest, they weathered the storm. Their fortitude and commitment to the job allowed them to finish with the best record in the league for the second straight season. That means home-court advantage for every Game 1 and Game 7* (if necessary). And as we saw last season, having home-court in Game 7, was a lot more important than having it in Game 1.

The Season Series

  • Game 1 – November 28th, 2025 – The first meeting between OKC and Phoenix was notable, not only because it was one of their NBA Cup Group Play games, but also because it was the return of Jalen Williams back into OKC’s lineup after missing the first 19 games of the season recovering from offseason wrist surgery. Oklahoma City won 123-119, in a game that saw them lead by as many as 15 points early in the fourth quarter, only to squander that lead away and have it be a one-point game with 2 minutes left in the game. Some shot-making and play-making late in the fourth from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped close the door on the Suns. OKC was led by SGA (37 points and 8 assists) and Chet Holmgren (23 points and 8 rebounds).
  • Game 2 – December 10th, 2025 – Both of these teams met again in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals, and this time, the result was never in question. Phoenix was without Devin Booker and OKC’s defense took full advantage of Phoenix missing their main offensive engine, winning 138-89. The only other notable thing in this game was Grayson Allen getting ejected in the 3rd quarter due to a Flagrant-2 on Chet Holmgren.
  • Game 3 – January 4th, 2026 – This was during the time in the season where OKC looked like their confidence was waining a bit after the losses to San Antonio in December. OKC appeared to have control for most of the game, but Phoenix kept it close and finally overtook the Thunder in the end on a Booker game-winning three with 0.7 seconds left in the game, winning 108-105. Phoenix completely destroyed OKC on the boards in this game, grabbing 10 more offensive rebounds and 20 more rebounds total.
  • Game 4 – February 11th, 2026 – Probably the most definitive J-Dub game of the season, as OKC won 136-109. He led the way, scoring 28 points on 11/12 shooting from the field, before exiting the game in the third quarter with a reaggravation of his hamstring strain. Up to that point, it felt like his wrist issues were behind him and he could start to put some games together. But, alas, it wasn’t in the cards at that time. Six other players scored in double figures for the Thunder, in a game that lacked both SGA and Booker.
  • Game 5 – April 12th,2026 – The G-League Suns beat the G-League Thunder, 135-103. Branden Carlson led the way for OKC with 26 points and 10 boards and Payton Sandfort pumped in a career-high 23 points on 5/9 shooting from deep.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -14.5
  • O/U: 215.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

PHX

  • Grayson Allen – Questionable (hamstring)
  • Mark Williams – Questionable (foot)

Three Big Things

  1. Jalen Green – One player the Thunder haven’t had to account for in their previous meetings this season was Jalen Green. The mercurial shooting guard was absent from all 5 of the regular season games due to various injuries. But he has shown up for Phoenix in the last two play-in games, scoring a total of 71 points on 10/21 shooting from deep. If Green is getting hot at the right time, it could be an added weapon Phoenix could throw at OKC. One of the ways that Phoenix can beat OKC is in shot-making variance and Green can add to that.
  2. Size – Despite having Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro on their roster, Phoenix has seemingly fallen in love with their small-ball lineup that features Ryan Dunn and Royce O’Neal as their bigs. It’ll be interesting to see the lineups that Suns coach Jordan Ott deploys. Regardless, OKC’s platoon of big men (Chet, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams) should fare very well on the interior against the Suns.
  3. Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe – Probably the biggest X-factors for the Thunder outside of the performance of their Big-3. Joe has been on a consistent tear here over the past couple of months, shooting over 41% from deep since the new year. In addition, his defense and overall offensive game have allowed him to stay on the floor and be less of a liability as an overall rotational piece. And Mitchell has been a revelation this season as a play-maker, ball handler, and offensive engine with or without SGA or Dub in the lineup with him. If those two can continue into the playoffs what they’ve been doing in the regular season, it could spell big trouble for the rest of the teams left in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Thunder preview (Game 77 of 82)

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  • Los Angeles Lakers (50-26, 3rd in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16, 1st in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 02 April 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Prime Video
  • Offensive Rating: LAL: 117.4 (7th) / OKC: 117.1 (8th)
  • Defensive Rating: LAL: 115.5 (20th) / OKC: 106.3 (1st)
  • Net Rating: LAL: 1.9 (14th) / OKC: 10.9 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: LAL: Winners of 4 in a row and 13 of their last 14 games / OKC: Winners of 3 in a row and 15 of their last 16
  • Magic Number (to clinch the No. 1 seed throughout the playoffs): 5

The Tip-Off

The cream is really rising to the top here in the Western Conference. The top four teams are all currently riding the following 10-game runs: OKC: 9-1, SA: 10-0, LAL: 9-1, and DEN: 8-2. In addition, OKC, LA, and DEN are all at the healthiest they’ve been all season. Hopefully this run of health continues, as the West playoffs are going to be historic if everyone plays at full strength.

This is the 3rd of 4 meetings this season between the Thunder and Lakers. OKC blew the Lakers out in their first meeting in Los Angeles, 121-92, in a game that saw Cason Wallace completely dominate defensively and saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander go for 30 points and 9 assists. Their second meeting was a more tightly contested game that OKC won 119-110. OKC was without SGA in that game (and LA was without Luka Doncic) and seven players scored in double digits, led by Jalen Williams with 23 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -9
  • O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Alex Caruso – Questionable (illness)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

LAL

  • Marcus Smart – OUT (ankle)

Three Big Things

  1. Defend, While Not Fouling – Interesting find when looking at stats: Los Angeles DOESN’T lead the league in free throw attempts. That honor belongs to (wait for it…) the Orlando Magic (????). The Lakers are that team that features three offensive engines in Luka, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves that each kind of play the same way where if a play is breaking down, they can drive to the basket and create contact to initiate a foul call or two….or twenty. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the idea that this overtly benefits them because the Thunder have a player or two that play the same way. With that said, it’s my hope that the officials tonight call the game evenly and don’t subscribe to any “agenda-based” narratives.
  2. Attack The Paint – The Lakers aren’t necessarily known for their stellar interior defense. They are 20th in the league in Opponent Points in the Paint, allowing 51.7 points per game and 22nd in blocks, at only 4.3 per game. SGA, Dub, and Ajay Mitchell should be hunting the favorable match-ups on the perimeter, especially with Marcus Smart being out, and getting automatic paint touches throughout the game. Isaiah Joe has had a big impact in the previous two Lakers games and that should be a recurring theme in this game, if those paint touches yield open threes.
  3. MVP Matchup – While Doncic has seemingly fallen out of the race for the MVP, there is still going to be a very loud minority that yells for him to be MVP. And in most seasons, they would have a case. But this year, with SGA’s consistent excellence throughout the year and Victor Wembanyama’s emergence, Luka’s defensive struggles early in the season have pushed him behind the pace car. But that doesn’t mean that tonight’s game won’t be a fun matchup. Luka vs. the Thunder’s perimeter defender is always a chess match. And SGA looking to solidify his hold on the MVP after Wemby had another amazing night last night. In recent years, the schedule for April has rarely yielded any games of consequence. But this year, every game has been important, not just for seeding purposes, but also for MVP debate purposes.

Thunder @ Chicago Bulls preview (Game 63 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (47-15, 1st in the West) @ Chicago Bulls (25-36, 12th in the East)
  • When: Tuesday, 03 March 2026 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: United Center in Chicago, IL
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: CHI: 112.6 (24th) / OKC: 117.2 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating: CHI: 117.0 (25th) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
  • Net Rating: CHI: -4.4 (24th) / OKC: 11.1 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: CHI: Winner of 1, loser of 11 straight prior to that / OKC: Winners of 2 straight, 5-1 since the All-Star break

The Tip-Off

Funny how you get an MVP back in the line-up and all the struggles from the previous 3 weeks are forgotten. When healthy, the Thunder are still the team to beat in the NBA. While this season has been mired by the “potholes in the road” by injuries, they are still arguably the best team in the NBA, by a significant margin. Friday night showed that. Denver gave it their best shot with Nikola Jokic having a monster triple-double and Jamal Murray pitching in 39 points. And yet, even with a chance to win it in overtime with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sitting, the Nuggets looked like they were the team that was suffering from the altitude in OKC. SGA’s time off the floor may have unlocked different aspects of the team that could yield positive returns come playoff time. Isaiah Joe, Jared McCain, and Cason Wallace each were significant contributors to the Thunder beating the Nuggets in OT.

This is the first of two meetings this season between the Thunder and Bulls. OKC has now won 6 straight games against Chicago, dating back to the 2022-23 season, with an average margin of victory of 16.5 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -10.5
  • O/U: 229.5

Injury Report

OKC

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

CHI

  • Zach Collins – OFS (toe)
  • Noa Essengue – OFS (shoulder)
  • Jaden Ivey – OUT (knee)
  • Anfernee Simons – OUT (wrist)
  • Jalen Smith – OUT (calf)
  • Patrick Williams – OUT (quad)

Three Big Things

  1. Defending a Hodge-podge – The Bulls currently are just a cobbled up gaggle of undersized point guards, Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and non-center centers. The unusualness of their current line-ups is where they can trip opponents up. The Thunder are made to defend the line-ups of today’s basketball. But if there is no Jokic, Doncic, or Ant Edwards to hyperfocus on, this team’s defense can sometimes be left scrambling, especially against guard heavy line-ups (see Charlotte and Utah).
  2. Josh Giddey revenge game? – We just saw Ousmane Dieng have one of the best games of his career in his return to OKC right before the All-Star break. There were, of course, plenty of variables at play that could have contributed to such a performance, such as not having any play-makers available and the team having a “1-2-3 Cancun!” mentality after a roller-coaster first half of the season. But coming into tonight, there are similar variables at play: No play-makers available to them and the team possibly looking forward to the game on Wednesday in New York. There is trap game potential in this game and it could be spearheaded by Giddey.
  3. Cason Wallace – With SGA, Mitchell, and Dub being out for tonight, the team will likely look to Cason to be their de-facto play-maker. And he’s been great since the All-Star break, averaging 6.5 assists per game, while boasting a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio. In that same span, he’s also averaging 15.3 points on 45/50/90 shooting splits.

Denver Nuggets vs. Thunder preview (Game 61 of 82)

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  • Denver Nuggets (37-22, 4th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (45-15, 1st in the West)
  • When: Friday, 27 February 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: ESPN / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: DEN: 120.7 (1st) / OKC: 117.6 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating: DEN: 115.8 (20th) / OKC: 106.4 (1st)
  • Net Rating: DEN: 4.9 (7th) / OKC: 11.2 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: DEN: Alternating W’s and L’s for the last 8 games / OKC: Lost their last game, 5-2 in their last 7 games

The Tip-Off

Next man up. As the Thunder start to get healthier and healthier, the experience garnered from different players being thrust into roles that aren’t familiar to them could serve to be a positive as the Thunder navigate through the last 20 games of the season. The shot-making from Isaiah Joe and Jared McCain, the play-making and scoring from Cason Wallace, the offensive-hubbing from Jaylin Williams, the scoring from Kenrich Williams, etc. All those skills, while mostly not needed when the team is healthy, can serve as difference makers when defenses game-plan entirely against a team’s offense. We saw last season that the shooting can dry up quickly in the playoffs. If the players on the floor present more dynamic games, it allows the team to score in a variety of ways instead of relying entirely on their bread and butter (SGA and Dub).

This is the second of four meeting this season between these Northwest Division rivals. OKC won the first meeting, 121-111, in a game that saw the Thunder lead wire to wire and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander solidify his stamp on the MVP race with a 34 point, 13 assist performance.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -8.5
  • O/U: 232.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Branden Carlson – OUT (back)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

DEN

  • Tamar Bates – OUT (foot)
  • Aaron Gordon – OUT (hamstring)
  • Spencer Jones – Questionable (shoulder)
  • Jamal Murray – Questionable (illness)
  • Jalen Pickett – OUT (knee)
  • Julian Strawther – Questionable (toe)
  • Peyton Watson – OUT (hamstring)

Three Big Things

  1. The Thunder offense – While Denver may have the best offense in the league, it’s the Thunder’s offense that may show out in this game. Denver’s struggles on the defensive end have been well-documented this season. Nikola Jokic, while great on the offensive end of the floor, has never been mistaken for being a defensive stalwart on the other end. The Thunder’s ability to put Jokic into action with SGA gives the advantage to OKC. Denver will try to deploy a zone, but don’t currently have the horses (yes, pun intended) to run an effective one, with Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson being out. In addition, Denver doesn’t add too much defensive pressure on the ball, seeing as they are 29th in steals per game, 27th in blocks per game, and last in points off turnovers.
  2. Return of SGA – After carrying the Thunder on his back for most of the season, SGA (and the Thunder) were able to steal 3 weeks worth of rest for the reigning MVP. That could be huge for OKC as they head into their final playoff push. The Thunder went 5-4 in the 9 games Gilgeous-Alexander missed. Abdominal strains have a way of being tricky (see also hamstring strains), so here’s hoping he’s fully healed.
  3. Perimeter Defense – Outside of Jokic, the reason Denver’s offense is so great is their jump-shooting ability. The Nuggets rank 2nd in FG%, 1st in 3pt FG%, 6th in FT%, 1st in Effective FG%, and 1st in True Shooting %. With the gravity that Jokic, and Jamal Murray to a lesser degree, have, it opens up jump shooting opportunities for many of their role players. One of the more effective ways to defend against this is to limit the times you double-team Jokic. And the Thunder have the bodies to defend Joker one on one.

Thunder @ Detroit Pistons preview (Game 60 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (45-14, 1st in the West) @ Detroit Pistons (42-14, 1st in the East)
  • When: Wednesday, 25 February 2026 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI
  • TV: ESPN / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: DET: 116.4 (10th) / OKC: 117.6 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating: DET: 108.3 (2nd) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
  • Net Rating: DET: 8.1 (2nd) / OKC: 11.5 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: DET: Lost their last game, but had won 5 in a row previous to that / OKC: Winners of 3 in a row, 5-1 in their last 6 games

The Tip-Off

I’m still buzzing a bit off of the Thunder’s last two wins. To see Cason Wallace finally start to put together a complete game and to see Isaiah Joe completely bending defenses to his will because of his floor spacing has been incredible to watch since the All-Star break. Wallace has always been viewed as a defense first guy since entering the league and for good reason. You don’t lead the league in steals and total deflections without leaving your mark on that end of the floor. But to see what he has become with OKC missing most (and on some nights, all) of their ball-handlers, has been jaw-dropping. There were times last night where Wallace was calling for the ball at the top of the key in clutch time…and making all the right decisions. The Thunder pride themselves on still being a developmental team and it’s moments like this that show us that that approach is still working.

This is the first of two REGULAR SEASON meetings between these two conference front runners. OKC swept the season series last year.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: DET -9
  • O/U: 220.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Alex Caruso – Doubtful (ankle)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
  • Chet Holmgren – Doubtful (back spasms)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

DET

  • Isaiah Stewart – OUT (suspension)

Three Big Things

  1. Battle of physical defenses – Detroit plays a physical brand of basketball that would make Bill Laimbeer proud. They lead the league in steals (10.3) and blocks (6.3), while also leading the league in personal fouls (22.3). For everyone that complains about Oklahoma City’s defense being too physical, they apparently haven’t watched too many Pistons games this season. Oklahoma City usually does a good job of matching physicality with physicality, so it will be interesting if things will get chippy out there. I’m calling it: Kenrich Williams gets a tech tonight.
  2. Β Scheduled loss game – Second night of a road back to back. Prioritizing injury management. The Thunder will likely get fined for sitting some players out. And yet, I feel like the Pistons could fall into a trap game here. Maybe I’m just being a prisoner of the moment, but I really like the rhythm the Thunder are currently playing with. With that said, it’s going to be extremely difficult to get over Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein likely not playing in this game.
  3. Turnover-prone – The path to beating the Pistons tonight may be an uphill battle, but where the Thunder can make up ground is in the Pistons being turnover prone. They are 23rd in the league in turnovers per game at 15.3. And they only have one real ball-handler in Cade Cunningham. A high turnover game and a bad Cunningham night could help the Thunder in making things competitive.

Thunder @ Toronto Raptors preview (Game 59 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (44-14, 1st in the West) @ Toronto Raptors (34-23, 5th in the East)
  • When: Tuesday, 24 February 2026 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: TOR: 113.8 (16th) / OKC: 117.7 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating: TOR: 111.7 (6th) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
  • Net Rating: TOR: 2.1 (11th) / OKC: 11.6 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: TOR & OKC: Both teams are winners of last 2 games and 4-1 in their last 5 games

The Tip-Off

The Chase to the Finish. Oklahoma City put themselves in good position when they started the season 24-1. They gave themselves a cushion that many teams never have the luxury of experiencing that early in the season. And they’ve needed every little bit of that cushion since then. Injuries, fatigue, and general post-championship malaise have plagued the Thunder over their last 33 games since that blistering start. Now the Thunder have to continuously be looking in the rearview mirror at the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, like they are cop cars. Detroit finds themselves a game behind the Thunder in the overall league standings, while San Antonio, who already owns the tie-breaker over OKC, is 2.5 games back in the West standings. The ultimate goal of any regular season is to position yourself to have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs (see the 2024-25 OKC Thunder). But for a playoff-tested outfit like the Thunder, health may be a more important focus as the regular season churns towards it’s final month and a half. We’ll soon find out if that cushion was big enough for the Thunder.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Raptors. Toronto won the first meeting 103-101 in a game where the Thunder faltered late and struggled on the boards.

Betting Info, provided by FanDuel

  • Line: TOR -1
  • O/U: 216.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Alex Caruso – Questionable (ankle)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Chet Holmgren – Questionable (back spasms)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

TOR

  • Chucky Hepburn – OUT (knee/meniscus)
  • Jakob Poeltl – OUT (back)

Three Big Things

  1. Toronto’s poor 3-point shooting – Toronto is 26th in 3-point FGs made with 11.5 makes per game and 26th in 3-point FG percentage per game at 34.4%. This plays into OKC’s defensive ethos of primarily defending the paint and then running out to the open 3-point shooters.
  2. Getting back on defense – Toronto leads the league in fast break points per game at 19.3. Conversely, the Thunder are the best at defending fast break points, allowing only 11.8 fast break points per game. This stat probably comes down to perimeter misses and rebounding. Toronto’s length allows them to recover on to open shooters and disrupt shots. This leads to long rebounds and the ability for Toronto to get out on the break.
  3. Isaiah Joe – Over the last 6 games, Isaiah Joe is averaging 18.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2 steals on 48/56/92 shooting splits. He has a 13.7 net rating over that span to go along with a 73.6% True Shooting Percentage. Many times, he has been OKC’s most dangerous offensive option with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell, and Jalen Williams missing much, if not all, of the last 6 games. It is not an understatement that the Thunder go as Joe goes while their three main handlers are out with injuries.

Thunder @ Phoenix Suns preview (Game 55 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (41-13, 1st in the West) @ Phoenix Suns (32-22, 7th in the West)
  • When: Wednesday, 11 February 2026 at 8:00pm CST
  • Where: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: PHX: 114.5 (14th) / OKC: 117.7 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating: PHX: 112.2 (8th) / OKC: 106.0 (1st)
  • Net Rating: PHX: 2.3 (10th) / OKC: 11.7 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: PHX: 2-3 in their last 5, 5-5 in their last 10 / OKC: 3-2 in their last 5, 5-5 in their last 10

The Tip-Off

Jalen Williams returned for the Thunder in their last game against the Los Angeles Lakers and it was a welcome sight. For most of the season, the team has had at least one of their main ball-handlers on the floor. But the injuries to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell here recently, have thrust OKC into uncomfortable situations without any of their top-3 ball handlers. The results have been as expected: close games because of their defense, but an inability to close games out because of their offensive struggles. It was a little rough for Williams in the first three quarters of the game, as he tried to get his conditioning and rhythm back into form. He was 3/10 shooting in the first three quarters, but offset those struggles by getting to the free-throw line and hitting 7/9 free throws. But then the fourth quarter arrived, and Williams reminded us why he is commonly referred to as “4th Quarter Dub”. When Dub checked in with a little under 6 minutes to go, the Thunder were up by one and riding the seesaw of ties and lead changes. Williams used his ball-handling to get to his spots and destroy the Lakers from the mid-range. In that six-minute span, Williams went 3/6 from the field and 4/4 from the charity stripe to rack up 10 points and outlast the Lakers, 119-110. It’s amazing what having at least one ball-handler out there can do for your late-game offense.

This is the fourth of five meetings this season between the Thunder and Suns. These two teams met twice in the NBA Cup (once in group play and in the quarterfinals), with OKC winning both of those games. The Suns returned the favor early in January on a Devin Booker game-winning 3-pointer in Phoenix.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -7.5
  • O/U: 217.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (G-League assignment)

PHX

  • Grayson Allen – OUT (knee)
  • Cole Anthony – OUT (Not With Team)
  • Devin Booker – Questionable (ankle)
  • Jalen Green – Questionable (hamstring)
  • Isaiah Livers – OUT (shoulder)

Three Big Things

  1. Controlling the Boards – While Phoenix may not be one of the top rebounding teams in the league, currently ranking 29th in defensive rebounds per game and 21st in total rebounds per game, they do rank 5th in offensive rebounds per game at nearly 13 per game. This then fuels their 2nd Chance Point opportunities, in which they rank 7th in the league at 16.1 points per game. Conversely, for the Thunder, while they may rank 29th in offensive rebounds per game, Phoenix gives up a lot of offensive rebounds and ranks 25th in giving up the most 2nd chance points. If Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein are able to shake loose and grab some offensive rebounds, it could add another dimension to their offense that isn’t usually one of their strengths.
  2. Looking in the Mirror – Phoenix plays a very similar defensive style to OKC. They like to pressure the ball, play physically, and get into the passing lanes. Both teams rank in the top-4 in steals per game and top-3 in points off turnovers. In addition, they are both in the top-6 in preventing fast break points. Where they differ is in protecting the paint. OKC ranks first in Opponent Points in the Paint and third in blocks per game. Conversely, while Phoenix is the 10th best team in protecting the paint, they are the 29th ranked team in blocks per game.
  3. Jared McCain’s Early Impact – I know this is an extremely small sample size, but Jared McCain’s impact has been almost immediate when you look at line-up data. For 2-man lineups that have played over 10 minutes together, McCain is involved in the top-4 in Net Rating. The best is McCain and Cason Wallace with a net rating of +52.1 in 14 minutes. Next is McCain and Chet Holmgren with a net rating of +50.4 in 21 minutes. The McCain and Isaiah Hartenstein duo comes in at 3rd with a net rating of +45.5 in 22 minutes. And lastly, and the one I’m most excited to see playing with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and/or Ajay Mitchell when they return, is McCain and Isaiah Joe, with a net rating of +41.8 in 26 minutes. Again, small sample size theater, but it’s been very entertaining to watch.