Tag Archives: J-Will

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.

Detroit Pistons vs. Thunder preview (Game 76 of 82)

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  • Detroit Pistons (54-20, 1st in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (59-16, 1st in the West)
  • When: Monday, 30 March 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Peacock/NBCSN
  • Offensive Rating: DET: 117.0 (9th) / OKC: 117.3 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating: DET: 108.7 (2nd) / OKC: 106.3 (1st)
  • Net Rating: DET: 8.3 (3rd) / OKC: 11.0 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: DET: Winners of 2 in a row and 9 of their last 11 games / OKC: Winners of 2 in a row and 14 of their last 15 games
  • Magic Number (to clinch the No. 1 seed throughout the playoffs): 6

The Tip-Off

The end of season grind for playoff teams can be a balancing act of roster shuffling and getting real game-time reps in preparation for the postseason. Oklahoma City finds itself firmly entrenched in one of the top two positions in the West. But it also has to find games where it can play it’s normal starting unit, which has only seen about 8 games of action all season long. Finding time to catch a rhythm with the likes of Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, and Isaiah Hartenstein, while also looking out for their health is the teeter totter of all teeter totters. If the Thunder can get all their players to the postseason healthy and in rhythm, great. If they can’t, then the real struggle begins.

This is the second and final meeting of the regular season between the Thunder and Pistons. Detroit won the first meeting 124-116 in a game that saw the Thunder without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, and Isaiah Hartenstein. In that game, four Thunder players scored at least 20 points, with Jaylin Williams leading the way with a career high 30 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -12.5
  • O/U: 218.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf injury management)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring injury management)

DET

  • Cade Cunningham – OUT (chest/lung)
  • Jalen Duren – OUT (knee)
  • Tobias Harris – OUT (hip)
  • Duncan Robinson – OUT (hip)
  • Isaiah Stewart – OUT (calf)

Three Big Things

  1. Trap-Game Potential – Detroit is down five of their top 8 rotation players. That doesn’t mean that the Pistons won’t fight. Just like the Thunder gave the Pistons a run for their money in Detroit while missing many of their top rotational players, the Pistons can do the same if the Thunder aren’t on their A-game.
  2. SGA slump? – Over the past 2 games, SGA has shot 16/42 from the floor (38%), 1/13 from deep (8%), and has missed three free throws in each of those games. For a player who is famed for his efficiency, this is a slump of biblical proportions. For context though, the previous five games before this two-game run, SGA had shooting splits of 66% from the field and 53% from deep, while averaging 31 points per game. So it could be nothing. Or, it could be everything. I’m hoping it’s just a blip on the radar and not something like a lingering injury. Ausar Thompson, one of the best defenders in the league, will be hounding SGA all night tonight.
  3. Daniss Jenkins – Over the past 5 games, Jenkins has been averaging 20.6 points and nearly 8 assists per game. He has been the catalyst that has helped Detroit remain afloat since the injury to Cade Cunningham. He’ll be missing a huge chunk of his supporting cast tonight, but he has shown the ability to take over games and leave his imprint on the floor.

 

Thunder @ Philadelphia 76ers preview (Game 72 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (56-15, 1st in the West) @ Philadelphia 76ers (39-32, 7th in the East)
  • When: Monday, 23 March 2026 at 6:00pm CST
  • Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: PHI: 114.1 (15th) / OKC: 117.1 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating: PHI: 114.6 (16th) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
  • Net Rating: PHI: -0.5 (19th) / OKC: 11.0 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: PHI: Winners of 4 of their last 5 / OKC: Winners of 11 straight

The Tip-Off

I don’t have a big issue with the ejections or the suspensions, if the play or player warrants it. I just want consistency throughout the punishment process. My objection to Ajay Mitchell’s suspension is “was he just supposed to take the slap to the face?” Since when did the NBA turn into a religious organization that mandates turning the other cheek when struck or being pacifists when the other team is escalating the situation? How can a player (Anthony Gill) be fined after the game, but suffer no consequences in-game? Would the NBA’s behavior czar, James Jones, be so keen on doing nothing if he got slapped in the face? Like, make it make sense, because if it doesn’t make sense, then teams will try to approach the Thunder like this in the playoffs in hopes of getting the right person suspended for a game or more.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Sixers. OKC won the first meeting by 25 in a game that saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren combine for 56 points on 22/30 shooting from the field. The Thunder were only up by 2 at halftime and completely dominated Philly in the 2nd half.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -16
  • O/U: 224.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (suspension)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

PHI

  • Dominick Barlowe – Questionable (ankle)
  • Johni Broome – OUT (knee)
  • Joel Embiid – OUT (oblique)
  • Paul George – OUT (suspension)
  • Quentin Grimes – Questionable (illness)
  • Tyrese Maxey – OUT (finger)
  • Kelly Oubre Jr – OUT (elbow)

Three Big Things

  1. Welcome Back, Dub – Jalen Williams returns to the lineup after reaggravating his hamstring on February 11th. I know the Thunder would never put any of their players in danger of reinjury, but it’s still scary as OKC navigates the rest of the season in hoping that Dub is truly over his hamstring issues. We’ve seen how hamstring injuries have affected Aaron Gordon and the Denver Nuggets through their series with OKC last postseason and throughout this season. OKC has proven throughout the regular season that they can navigate the choppy waters without Dub. But the postseason is an entirely different monster and having a healthy Dub available is probably the biggest X-factor for OKC.
  2.  Jared McCain – It was only 1.5 seasons, but McCain’s impact on Philly was felt when he got traded at the deadline in February. Tyrese Maxey was feeling some sort of way when the trade happened, and Sixers GM Darryl Morey had to explain that he was “selling high” when he shipped McCain off for a 2026 Houston Rockets first and three future second round picks. After struggling with injuries for much of the past season, McCain has assimilated almost seamlessly onto the Thunder and has become a key rotational piece off the bench. His floor spacing and play-making has filled a need the Thunder were vastly seeking in this injury-plagued season. In 19 games since the trade, McCain is averaging 12.3 points on 41% shooting from deep for OKC. Supposedly, there will be a video tribute for McCain tonight, which is high praise, considering he only played 60 games for the franchise and also considering that this is Philadelphia we’re talking about. Philly sports have gone soft.
  3. Big Man superiority – With Joel Embiid being out, the Sixers will need to rely on Adem Bona and Andre Drummond. I fully expect the Thunder’s big man trio of Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams to dominate in all aspects of post play.

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 @ San Antonio Spurs preview (Game 52 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (40-11, 1st in the West) @ San Antonio Spurs (33-16, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Wednesday, 04 February 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX
  • TV: ESPN / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: SAS: 116.2 (11th) / OKC: 118.2 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating: SAS: 111.2 (3rd) / OKC: 105.6 (1st)
  • Net Rating: SAS: 5.0 (6th) / OKC: 12.6 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: SAS: 3-3 in their last 6 games (alternating W’s and L’s) / OKC: 3-3 in their last 6 games, but have won 2 in a row

The Tip-Off

You know, I used to get pissed off when teams used to sit their stars (or even starters) for nationally televised games. Like, why the hell would I tune in to watch your 12th guy off the bench get starter minutes. But now, I kind of get it. Teams that have deep playoff runs don’t have the same restful offseason as those that don’t make the playoffs or exit early. The Thunder played two more months of basketball than most teams in the Association. And they came into this season with the idea that they would play their same brand of basketball. It worked for the first two months of the season. But their brand of basketball and their insistence to win began to take it’s toll on them. And so, the Thunder are now in a position to try and find respites of rest in the schedule whenever possible, while having it be as legit as possible. Those injuries start to pile on and the best recipe is to find rest. And so now, I get it.

This is the fifth and final meeting of the regular season between these two teams. San Antonio won the first three meetings of the season in December that sent Thunder fandom into a deep, dark depression. The Thunder returned the favor in January, winning 119-98.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC +8.5
  • O/U: 217.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Alex Caruso – OUT (adductor)
  • Ousmane Dieng – OUT (Not With Team)
  • Lu Dort – OUT (knee)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (eye)
  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (back)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

SAS

  • Stephon Castle – Questionable (thigh)
  • Dylan Harper – Questionable (ankle)
  • Kelly Olynyk – Questionable (foot)
  • Jeremy Sochan – OUT (quad)
  • Lindy Waters III – OUT (knee)

Three Big Things

  1. Injury Bug – While OKC has been dealing with injuries the entire season, the injury bug finally hit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who will miss the next five games before the All-Star break and will also miss the All-Star game with an abdominal strain. The defending MVP has carried a heavy load this season, leading the Thunder to the best record in the league, while having to navigate consistent roster changes and injuries on a night to night basis. While it stinks to not have SGA out there, it is a good opportunity to get 2+ weeks of rest while only missing 5 games.
  2. Good Opportunity – Here I thought the Orlando game was going to be the sacrificial game. Turns out, it’s the Spurs game. I get it. Guys need rest, SGA is injured, and you’ve already played the Spurs four times this season. There’s not much to glean from another battle against a potential 2nd or 3rd round playoff opponent. But it is a good opportunity for guys like Jaylin Williams, Isaiah Joe, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins to expand their games and try new things. Remember when J-Will got all his triple-doubles last season late in the season when most of the starters were resting. Remember when it was almost guaranteed that Wiggins would get 25+ points when the starters sat late last season. Maybe this can be the Chris Youngblood “5 3-pointers made” game. Maybe Brooks Barnhizer will actually take an outside shot. Lots of opportunity for development.
  3. Welcome, Jared McCain – The Thunder didn’t wait until Thursday to strike on a trade. They made a couple moves that netted them Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a 2026 Houston first round pick and three future second round picks. In a lateral move, Ousmane Dieng and a 2029 2nd round pick were moved to Charlotte in exchange for Mason Plumlee, who was subsequently waived to create a roster spot for McCain. Dieng was then moved from Charlotte to Chicago in a separate trade. The idea of Dieng was always more hopeful than the actual production. Every time it seemed like Dieng was starting to carve out a role, an injury usually happened. By the time Dieng looked up, the team was on it’s way to contention and the developmental train had transformed into a hard-charging championship-contending train. But, hey, he got a championship ring out of it and was a Finals MVP for a G-League championship.

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:

The Source: Presti Quotables

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Back in the 90’s, magazines were all the rage for being in the know for whatever you were consuming. If you loved sports, there was a weekly dose of information called Sports Illustrated. If nature was your thing, National Geographic had you covered. World news…Time. Silly comics…MAD. If you were a music head, you were probably ordering a monthly subscription to Rolling Stones or Vibe. But you were a hip-hop head, your readable rotation probably involved magazines like Word Up!, XXL, and The Source. The latter of those had a section called Hip-Hop Quotables, where the magazine highlighted a specific verse or song that was lyrically chef’s kiss. If you were a rapper at that time, you wanted your verse to be featured on Hip-Hop Quotables.

If you’ve followed the Oklahoma City Thunder any in their 18 years of existence, you know that a Sam Presti press conference is usually good for several quotables. The man is well-versed in many forms of prose and can pull out a quote or lyric from the recesses of his mind. As the Thunder open up their championship-defending campaign, Presti once again blessed us with several quotables in preparation for the 2025-26 NBA season. Here are some from Thursday’s presser:

Shots fired at NBA commissioner Adam Silver for his comments regarding the cost associated with having multiple TV partners across multiple streaming services and his quip that content can be consumed for free on social media because basketball is a “highlight-based sport”. Presti, and in turn, the Thunder, have always prided themselves in being students of the game, and not just consumers of the moment. When you stack days and live a 0-0 mentality, highlights are just plays that happen in the moment.

Chess is often associated with intelligence and experience. How do you attack and then how do you counter. But, as Presti said, that’s assuming everyone is playing with the same players on the board. Chess would make sense if everyone had an MVP candidate on their team or a DPOY candidate that can step out and hit 3’s. But in reality, that isn’t the case. In poker, you are given a set of cards, and from there, you decide what to do. Six years ago, the Thunder saw the deck they had in hand, and decided to pivot (or fold) from that current state. And so began the rebuild. While it was uncomfortable (shitty hands) for a little, eventually the team came up aces with their young players and a championship was the end result. Presti knew when to hold them and when to fold them.

“My whole life is consistent.” Yep, checks out. Presti knows ball.

One of the staples of the Thunder ethos is “no agenda basketball”. Presti said that when describing Cason Wallace’s play when they drafted the guard in 2023. And he repeats that, in other words/phrases, of course, in describing Chet. What I love about “Presti-speak” is that he takes a phrase and then parses out synonyms that basically mean the same thing.

 

 

If you were looking for a theme for this year, it’s “turning the page”. Presti mentioned it  multiple times during the press conference and eludes to the fact that the Thunder can’t rest on the laurels of last season. Continuous improvement was also a theme Presti touched on multiple time during the presser.

Frickin’ bars, man. Stop guarding the past. Build towards the future. If this whole GM thing doesn’t work out for Presti, he’s got a helluva future as an inspirational speaker or life coach.

This is nothing new when it comes to Presti. In every preseason presser, he always stresses the goal is to put yourself in position to go after an opportunity if it presents itself. The Thunder have never been a “title or bust” team. It’s always been about setting yourself up to have the opportunity to compete for championships. To Presti, winning a championship does nothing to change that mindset.

 

These two quotes have to go together. With all the fear being stoked that the 2nd apron will eventually tear this team apart, the reality is that the Thunder are only just now in the beginning of their run, haven’t even dipped their toes into the luxury tax (and likely won’t this season), have their core signed for the next six seasons, and still have a treasure trove of assets. Not only that, but the ownership group has been saving money throughout the rebuild specifically for this moment and more money should be coming, in the form of possible expansion and the new arena. Oh, and the Thunder already have a championship in their coffers before they start getting financially penalized.

If your job has a mission statement, just keep repeating it if you are the boss.

And finally:

Keep smiling, champ. Keep smiling.

 

Thunder @ Utah Jazz preview (Game 81 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (66-14) at Utah Jazz (17-63)
  • When: Friday, 11 April 2025 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Offensive Rating – UTA: 110.4 (24th) / OKC: 119.1 (3rd)
  • Defensive Rating – UTA: 119.2 (30th) / OKC: 106.7 (1st)
  • Net Rating – UTA: -8.8 (28th) / OKC: 12.4 (1st)

The Set-Up

The balance that is rest vs. rust. In their last game against the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder sat about half of their main rotation for rest. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren showed why they are future superstars in the league and handled the Suns pretty easily. Tonight, the Thunder are stretching even further into the “rest” pool, only playing about 30% of their main 10-11 man rotation. The ultimate goal is no injuries heading into the playoffs, but with the Thunder being the No. 1 seed and having about a week off between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs, you also don’t want rust to set in. It’s a puzzle, but it’s a good puzzle to have to solve.

This is the 4th and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Jazz. The Thunder have won the previous 3 meetings, with two of those victories being by 27 points and the third one being by 9 points.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -9.5
  • O/U: 234.5

    Injury Report

    OKC
  • Alex Caruso – OUT (ankle)
  • Ousmane Dieng – OUT (calf)
  • Lu Dort – OUT (knee)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (shin)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (Achilles)
  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (back)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
  • Cason Wallace – OUT (shoulder)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hip)

    UTA
  • Jordan Clarkson – OUT (foot – plantar fasciitis)
  • Isaiah Collier – Questionable (hamstring)
  • John Collins – OUT (ankle)
  • Elijah Harkless – OUT (groin)
  • Taylor Hendricks – OUT (leg)
  • Walker Kessler – OUT (concussion)
  • KJ Martin – OUT (illness)
  • Lauri Markkanen – OUT (knee)
  • Cody Williams – OUT (illness – mono)

Three Big Things

1. Ajay Mitchell’s return – After being out for three months, Ajay Mitchell returns back to the Thunder’s line-up in time for the playoffs. The turf toe and subsequent surgery caused Mitchell to miss 46 games in what was looking to be an All-Rookie campaign. The Thunder now have the final two games to see what Mitchell can provide out on the floor and game-plan to see if he will be in the rotation for the playoffs.

2. Perimeter Defense – The Thunder will arguably be without their top-7 defenders tonight. They may especially miss the perimeter defense of Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace. Due to Utah’s rash of injuries, most of their offense is being run through their trio of young guards in Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Isaiah Collier. Do the Thunder have enough defense to make life difficult for those three players?

3. Jaylin Williams – triple double? – The last two times the Thunder have had a “tank war” game, Jaylin Williams has ended up with a triple double. The back-up big man known for his passing usually shines when the majority of the offense is run through him in these types of games. Should we just put another triple double in the column for J-Will?