Tag Archives: J-Dub

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 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals)

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  • #8 Phoenix Suns (0-1) vs. #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0)
  • When: Wednesday, 22 April 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: ESPN
  • Series Record: OKC leads 1-0

The Tip-Off

With 8:05 left in the first quarter, Phoenix held a 12-9 lead and had a little momentum in the early going of the game. The jump shots were falling on their end and the Thunder were missing on the other end. If the Suns were going to steal a game, this is the recipe that would need to be used.

Then Jalen Williams happened.

An open three off a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kickout. Then an immediate steal and transition dunk off a Jalen Green turnover and the Thunder held their first lead of the game. A lead, they would never relinquish. A couple possessions later, Dillon Brooks tried to physically back Dub down, but was met with equal physicality and lost the ball, which popped up right into the waiting arms of Chet Holmgren. And, as Brooks is prone to do, he swiped in the direction of the ball, but caught Holmgren’s face. The ref reviewed it, hit Brooks with a Flagrant-1, and Holmgren hit four free throws (two from the flagrant and then two on a subsequent foul on the offensive possession). By the end of the first quarter, OKC held a 15-point lead.

If you are going to come back on OKC, though, the time to do it is when SGA is sitting on the bench. And that usually occurs in the first six minutes of the 2nd quarter and first six minutes of the fourth quarter (if the game is close enough (wink!)). So there was a little ray of hope for Phoenix (see what I did there?) heading into the 2nd quarter.

Then Jaylin Williams happened.

The Thunder led 37-23 when Jaylin Williams checked into the game for Isaiah Hartenstein. For the next 4.5 minutes, J-Will put on a defensive clinic, the likes we’ve never seen from Williams. In that time span, J-Will had 4 rebounds, 2 steals, an assist, and 2 points. That 14-point lead ballooned up to 23 by the time Williams sat back down with 6:01 left in the quarter. It was pretty much game after that…all on the back of two guys with the initials J. Williams.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -17.5
  • O/U: 215.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee/ACL)

PHX

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

Three Big Things

  1. 0-0 Mentality – I know this is the Thunder’s mantra. And they seem to be living by it 100% of the time. But we also know that human nature is real. And the possibility of letting up after demolishing a team while your best player has a subpar game is there. We kind of saw that in the Memphis series last postseason. OKC won the first game by 51 points and then won the second game by 19. But in Game 3, Memphis came out like an injured animal with their back against the wall and had the Thunder down by 29 points before Ja Morant left the game with an injured hip. It took a historic comeback in the second half for OKC to escape with a narrow victory in that game. By Game 4, Memphis kind of started to figure out the Thunder’s Rubik’s cube, even without Morant, and gave the Thunder a helluva game, losing by only two in the series clincher for OKC. There are many lessons that can be gleaned from last year’s postseason run, and these may be two of the most important ones: Sometimes your toughest opponent is complacency and you can’t take your margin of victory from the last game Linto the next game.
  2. SGA – OKC won by 35 despite SGA having shooting splits of 28/0/88. We used to make fun of Kyle Singler for having a shooting split total under 100, and SGA nearly did that in this game. With all that said, Phoenix was being physical with him and was sending doubles at various points in the game. But the evolution of SGA’s game is that he also had 7 assists and 0 turnovers. If “the others” are making enough shots and the defense is up to the Thunder standard, there may not be a necessity for a hyper-efficient SGA game.
  3. Take Care of Business – While the series on the other side of the bracket are both tied at 1 game apiece, the Lakers are taking care of business against the Rockets on OKC’s side of the bracket. The hope was that the 4/5 matchup would be a 6 or 7 game series, but the reality is this Kevin Durant-led team appears to be heading down the path most Durant-led teams have gone, and that’s implosion. A Lakers sweep would give them time to rest, heal up, and be ready for the second round. Not that it worries me that much, but making sure that OKC gets the same amount of time to rest up would be beneficial.

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.

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.

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

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

The Tip-Off

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

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

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -13
  • O/U: 214.5

Injury Report

OKC

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

MIL

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

Three Big Things

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

 

Thunder @ 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.

 

Phoenix Suns vs. Thunder preview (Game 20 of 82, NBA Cup Game #4)

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  • Phoenix Suns (12-7, 6th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-1, 1st in the West)
  • When: Friday, 28 November 2025 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating: PHX: 115.8 (12th) / OKC: 119.3 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating: PHX: 112.1 (9th) / OKC: 102.9 (1st)
  • Net Rating: PHX: 3.7 (13th) / OKC: 16.4 (1st)

The Set-Up

This is what the NBA wanted when it set up groupings to determine who would head into the NBA Cup Tournament. Both the Thunder and Suns come into this game undefeated in Cup play. The winner definitely advances into the tournament, while the loser has to hope that other variables fall into place. It’s the ultimate “you decide your own fate” scenario. For the Thunder, while they may tell you that it’s just another game, the truth is likely that they want to avenge the only thing they didn’t get last season, the Cup championship.

This is the first of four meetings this season between Oklahoma City and Phoenix. The Thunder swept the season series 3-0, with an average margin of victory of 20 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -14.5
  • O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (ankle)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)
  • Aaron Wiggins – OUT (adductor strain)

PHX

  • Grayson Allen – OUT (quad)
  • Ryan Dunn – OUT (wrist)
  • Jalen Green – OUT (hamstring)
  • Isaiah Livers – OUT (hip)

Three Big Things

  1. Dub is back – Jalen Williams, who was a 3rd Team All-NBA and 2nd Team All-Defense player last season, was a key part to the Thunder’s championship run last season. Near the end of the regular season last year, Williams suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist. That he played through (and excelled, at points), is a miracle. But he did and accomplished what he and the team wanted to at the end of the season. With that, came surgery in the offseason. As surgeries usually go, there was some hiccups here and there with surgical hardware and what not. But, now, 20 games into the season, Dub makes his debut for a team that is currently 18-1 and on a torrid pace through the season.
  2. Possible chemistry issues – The fear, when a team is humming, is to introduce a big component that may disrupt that chemistry that has formed in the first 19 games of the season. Am I worried about this? No, I’m not. Is it a possibility? Of course. But as adaptable as this team is, the inclusion of an All-NBA and All-Defense player likely isn’t going to be something that trips them up. Especially, when everybody on this team understands their role and their location on the hierarchy.
  3. Strengths and Weaknesses – With Isaiah Hartenstein out, that puts more onus on Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams to secure the defensive glass. Phoenix is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the league and that fuels them being a top-10 team in second chance points. But, Phoenix is a team that turnovers the ball over a ton (16.6 a game, 26th in the league) and their turnover percentage is even worse (29th in the league). Turnovers lead to points off of turnovers, where Phoenix is the 2nd worst team at defending points off turnovers and Oklahoma City city is the best at scoring off of turnovers.

Thunder Media Day was boring…and that’s perfectly fine

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When you are in the media, you’re always hoping for that one nugget of information that can spark an article. Spark a narrative. Spark a controversy. Something you can write and talk about. But when you’re a fan, while you may wish for something exciting, what you should really be hoping for is consistency…especially if your team just won the championship the season before. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they head into training camp, the team brings back 14 of the 15 players who were on the playoff roster and one of their two-way players. That’s 15 of the possible 18 roster spots taken up by players who already know the system. The only change was exchanging a seldomly used rookie from last season (Dillon Jones) for a rookie this season who won’t see the floor (Thomas Sorber) due to an ACL tear. That’s it. Everything else remains basically the same.

What did change was the fact that everyone who was on the team last season can now walk around saying their nickname is “Champ”. But when asked what has changed since winning the NBA title in June, many answers boiled down to “not much”. Head coach Mark Daigneault, who kicked off media day, when asked what had changed since winning the title: “Not much, to be honest with you. Cycle of the season. Cycle of the offseason. We had a draft. Summer league. The only changes my life has taken on is with my kids and our family.” Thunder guard Lu Dort said that while the recognition has increased since winning the title, he went right back to the same offseason routine once he took some time to allow his body to recover. Thunder center Chet Holmgren said the first two weeks of the offseason were different (you know, having never won an NBA title before), but said it was the same after that.

Another theme during media day was how the different players enjoyed their experiences with the Larry O’Brien trophy. Dort got to sign the Golden Book of the City of Montreal, while bringing the trophy to his neighborhood. Jalen Williams was able to take the trophy to his alma mater, Santa Clara University, and share the experience with the same coaches who coached him when he was in college. Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams gushed about bringing the trophy to Fort Smith, Arkansas, with Williams adding that the players don’t necessarily worry about the safety of the trophy because “the Thunder made sure we took care of it.” Holmgren said when he took the trophy to Minnesota, he wanted to show the kids because when he was growing up, “there were no trophies in Minnesota”. Thunder guard Alex Caruso was finally able to take the Larry O’Brien trophy to College Station, Texas. As a member of the Lakers’ 2020 championship squad, he was unable to take the trophy to Texas A&M due to covid restrictions. When asked if the trophy was a part of his wedding, he gave an emphatic “No”, mentioning that he wanted to keep some thing separate from basketball and wanted to focus on his wedding.

Another thing that showed up during media day was the appreciation the players have for each other. Rookie second rounder Brooks Barnhizer was asked what was something he was surprised to see as he started his NBA journey: “I think everyone sees how close they are. Many people think when you get to the NBA those things go away, but here those things get amplified.” Second-year guard Ajay Mitchell gushed about his experience with fellow second-year guard (but really a rookie) Nikola Topic during summer league: “He’s a high IQ guard. Really excited for him. I know it’s been a tough year with the injury, but I’m excited for him. It was a great learning experience for both of us. It was fun.” Thunder lead guard and current league (and Finals) MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, when asked about Holmgren: “Everyone sees that we’ve only seen a fraction of what Chet can be. He’s made to play basketball. His height, his instinct, his feel. He has a mentality to sets him apart. Aside from everything that’s God-given, he also has the mentality. He can do whatever he wants.” SGA and J-Will both called Jalen Williams a “warrior” when asked to recall the struggles Williams went through with his wrist injury during the playoffs. J-Will finished his description off by asking “How could you not go to war with a guy like that?” Holmgren, when asked about the pairing with fellow big man Isaiah Hartenstein said, “We still have a long way to go as a pair and as a team. He goes out there and gives it his all. He does the gritty things. Goes out there and fractures his nose and keeps battling.”

A team that gets along. Players that appreciate each other. An organization that sees a new goal in front of them and knows that reminiscing on past goals completed won’t help them in their new journey. A team that rewards the players on their team and recognizes the importance of continuity. A organization that really rests on the ethos that they draft people, not players. I know…hella boring. I’ll leave you with quip from J-Will, when asked if he ever fancies going to another situation (team) where he may get more playing time or be higher on the pecking order:

Jalen Williams sheds the wrist brace

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As shown on Jalen Williams’ Instagram page, the brace that once covered his right wrist is now no longer present. The surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament was performed on July 1st, 2025. At the time, the expected re-evaluation period for such a surgery was at least 12 weeks. As of today, we are at 11 weeks, post-surgery. At the time, Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti stated that he expected Williams to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.

Williams tore the ligament on April 9th, 2025, in a game against the Phoenix Suns. He went on to miss the last two games of the regular season, but played in all the postseason games, as the Thunder made their run to win the championship. As documented in Williams’ post-surgery vlog, he received lidocaine injections in his wrist before each game and before some practices. He also took multiple cortisone shots and developed injection-site callouses in his wrist. He said that during the playoff run, he had to relearn how to shoot, using more of a finger-tip guided shot, instead of his usual wrist-guided shot.

The Thunder start training camp in a couple of weeks and play their first preseason game on October 5th, 2025 against the Charlotte Hornets. Their championship title defense begins on October 21st, 2025 against the Houston Rockets.

 

Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Series Preview – NBA Finals

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Schedule

  • Game 1 – June 5th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • Game 2 – June 8th, 2025 @ 7:00pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • Game 3 – June 11th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
  • Game 4 – June 13th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
  • *Game 5 – June 16th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • *Game 6 – June 19th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
  • *Game 7 – June 22nd, 2025 @ 7:00pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK* – * * – If necessary

Quick Stats (Playoffs)

  • Offensive Rating – IND: 117.7 (2nd) / OKC: 115.9 (3rd)
  • Defensive Rating – IND: 113.6 (9th) / OKC: 104.7 (1st)
  • Net Rating – IND: 4.1 (4th) / OKC: 11.2 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Let’s be honest: if you marked this Finals match-up down in October 2024, then your phone number probably either starts with a 405 area code or a 317 area code. I’m sure a lot of people will tell you that an NBA Finals without LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, or Steph Curry will be bad for the league. I’m sure they’ll wax poetic about superteams and dynasties of yore. They may even try to convince that these Finals will be the least watched finals ever. But don’t listen to them.

Every crop of superstars has to eventually meet it’s end. That LeBron and Curry have pushed their reigns out so far has been nothing short of impressive. Kudos to them for showing a new crop of stars how to take care of their bodies and push the bounds of longevity. But one era has to finish for another one to begin. And that is what these Finals may be representing. One, not necessarily built by superteams, but by team depth. One, not necessarily focused on the heliocentricity of one player, but on the ability to have five players on the court be 5-tool players. One, where the most important guy in the organization may not be the league MVP, but the league’s Executive of the Year.

Teams are being built differently now, and this may be the first view of how the NBA will look like under the new CBA. And there will be moans and groans about how great things were in the past. But, yet, somehow, someway, the league continues to grow. The social media hits continue to climb. The game crosses more and more boundaries as it continues to battle futbol (no, not football) as a truly global game. Soccer remains king throughout the world, but basketball continues to lie in wait as the prince that was promised. As the NBA landscape changes, these two teams, the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, are the teams that will usher basketball into this new era. You may be watching the next great dynasty unfold before your eyes.

Regular Season Series

Game 1 – Dec. 26th, 2024 – Thunder win 120-114 in Indianapolis, IN – SGA scores a then career-high 45 points as Lu Dort and the Thunder defense holds Tyrese Haliburton to 4 points on 6 FG attempts. Isaiah Hartenstein pitched in with an 11 point, 13 rebound double-double and Jalen Williams added in 20 points.

Game 2 – Mar. 29th, 2024 – Thunder win 132-111 in Oklahoma City, OK – OKC outscores the Pacers by 20 points combined in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and uses that cushion to cruise to victory. SGA scores 33 points and get big time contributions from Luguentz Dort (22 points on 6/7 shooting from deep) and Isaiah Joe (19 points on 5/7 shooting from deep).

Three Big Things

1. Twins? – These two teams are definitely not identical twins. But they could be classified as fraternal twins with how similar they are. Here are just a few stats that show how similar these two teams are: After January 1st, 2025, the Pacers (33) and Thunder (41) had the most wins in the league during that time. They both have a 12-4 record in the playoffs heading into the Finals. They are No. 2 and 3 in points per game in the playoffs, being separated by only 0.3 of a point. They are No. 1 and 2 in pace in the playoffs. They are 1 and 2 in points off turnovers. They are No. 1 and 3 in fastbreak points. They both get back on defense, being No. 1 and 2 on both Opponent Points off Turnovers and Opponent Fastbreak Points. It’s scary how similar these teams are, statistically.

2. SGA – The biggest difference is that one team boasts the league MVP and the other doesn’t. SGA has been playing some of his best basketball these last few weeks. While he may have started off slow in the first few games of the playoffs, he has picked it up when it has mattered most, scoring 30 or more points in 11 of his last 14 games. Teams have used various schemes to try to stop SGA, but it has been all for naught. In the two regular season games this season, SGA has averaged 39 against Indiana.

3. Living in the Corner – Indiana’s offense in these playoffs has not just been predicated on Haliburton’s floor generalship, but also on the shooters making corner 3’s. Indiana has shot an amazing 46.9% on 9.2 attempts these playoffs. That is up from 40.6% during the regular season. A 16-game sample size is big enough to assume that it can continue for the Pacers in the finals. But if they revert back to their regular season norms, the Pacers could be in trouble.